'Start-up toh bohot log launch karte hain...': PM Narendra Modi's veiled dig at Rahul Gandhi

“In the last decade, we have seen how India has made its mark in the IT and software sector,” he said, adding that people are now seeing the trend of innovation and start-up culture in India.

On the 'Startup Mahakumbh' taking place at the Bharat Mandapam just weeks ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, PM Modi said, “Your team is organising such a big event here... Generally, the businessman's mind thinks that it is the election year, let it be, we will see once the elections are over and a new government will be formed. But you are organising such a big program even after the elections have been declared. This means that you know what is going to happen in the next five years.”

The Prime Minister said that while taking a stroll along the stalls and watching various inventions, he felt the vibe that "India's future holds many unicorns and decacorns."

To promote startups, the country has taken the right decisions at the right time, he noted.

“If today India has emerged as a new hope, a new strength for the global start-up space, then there has been a well-thought-out vision behind it,” he said.

The central government's 'Startup India' initiative provided a platform for innovative ideas and worked towards connecting them to funding sources, he asserted.

PM Modi said such efforts helped the youth from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities around the country to incubate their ideas.

He noted that the country today can proudly say that our startup ecosystem is not limited to megacities and youth from small cities are pioneering the revolution in the startup ecosystem.

In today's times, startups are being launched across different sectors in India.

“From agriculture to space, we can find Indian startups everywhere. The space sector, which was once in the shackles of the government, now has over 50 startups. The world sees the capability of Indian youth. Trusting their capabilities, we decided to fuel their aspirations... We have transformed people's thinking; instead of being a job-seeker, the youth is now keen on becoming a job-provider,” he said.

Prime Minister Modi shared that India is the third largest startup ecosystem around the world as there are more than 1.25 lakh registered startups which generate employment for over 12 lakh people in the country.

Moreover, he added that the country has over 110 unicorns and Indian startups have registered over 12,000 patents. He further requested those present to get their patent as early as possible.

Under the 'Startup-20' initiative, the country has attempted to bring together various startup ecosystems from across the globe. At Bharat Mandapam, startups were not only included for the first time in the Delhi Declaration of the G20 Summit but were also considered natural engines of growth, he noted.

PM Modi further stated that over 45% of startups in the country are run by women.

“During the G20 Summit, leaders from various countries were awestruck by our UPI,” PM Modi stated, adding that it has strengthened our efforts for financial inclusion.

UPI has helped the country to bridge the rural-urban divide, he added.

The Prime Minister further shared how he took the help of artificial intelligence to solve a problem.

“There was a time when people used to ask for my autographs, or photographs and selfies with me. So, I took the help of Artificial Intelligence to solve this problem,” he said.