Youth, startups backbone of PM’s New India vision: Amit Shah

Gandhinagar, Sep 23: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Amit Shah Tuesday inaugurated the Startup Conclave 2025 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The Chief Minister of Gujarat Bhupendra Patel and several dignitaries were present on the occasion.
In his address, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that the conclave will deliberate on all aspects of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mission to establish India’s identity in the startup world and find solutions to challenges. The conclave is organized on the theme of three mantras: innovate, elevate, and accelerate. He mentioned that over two days, discussions will be held in seven sessions on various topics, providing a significant platform to connect emerging startups with investors and realize Prime Minister Modi’s mantra of “mind to market.”
Shah highlighted that the compilation of the Indian Knowledge System was also launched during the event. He said that this system encompasses the finest knowledge from around the world in fields such as Ayurveda, classical arts, architecture, mathematics, philosophy, science, space, and the environment. Shah added that Prime Minister Modi, through the New Education Policy, has created a vertical for research and study on the Indian Knowledge System, opening this treasure trove for India’s youth. By leveraging this knowledge, young Indians can conduct world-class research.
Union Home Minister remarked that before 2014, Indian youth had to leave the country to innovate, conduct research, or implement their ideas in the startup sector. In 2000, there was no concept of startups, systems, or ecosystems in India. By 2014, there were fewer than 500 startups, and dreaming of startups was only feasible for children from affluent backgrounds. He emphasized that over the past ten years, Prime Minister Modi launched Startup India in 2016, and today, India has become the fastest-growing country in building a world-class startup ecosystem.
Shah said that through Startup India, PM Modi has fulfilled the dream of transforming Indian youth from job seekers to job creators. He has elevated startups beyond mere profit-making entities, making them a significant tool for self-reliance. The startup ecosystem has become a platform to address many of the country’s challenges, accelerate innovation, and provide opportunities for youth creativity.
Amit Shah said that in the eight years from 2016 to 2024, India has become the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem. Furthermore, over the past ten years, India has also emerged as the third-largest digital ecosystem, empowering the startup ecosystem. The digital ecosystem rapidly brings the ideas, vision, and courage of the youth to the forefront of the nation and the world. He said that in 2015, India’s ranking in the Global Innovation Index was 91st, and today it has reached 38th. The Home Minister expressed confidence that within the next three years, India will rank among the top ten countries in the Global Innovation Index and, in the coming years, will lead global innovation.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that in the 11 years of the Modi government, significant transformations have been witnessed in the country, with efforts made in every sector to expand the startup ecosystem. The credit for this expansion goes to the ecosystem created by Prime Minister Modi, as well as to students and youth. He highlighted that the number of startups has grown from 500 in 2014 to 1.92 lakh today, a 380-fold increase. Similarly, the number of unicorn startups has risen from just 4 in 2014 to over 120 today, with a total valuation exceeding $350 billion. Shah emphasized that this demonstrates how, by leveraging the ecosystem created by Prime Minister Modi, talent can be harnessed to create unicorn startups. He urged industry stakeholders to collaborate with startups to expand in every dimension.
Amit Shah said that India currently has 21,000 startups in the IT sector and 17,000 in healthcare. Moreover, there are 11,000 startups each in agriculture, the service sector, and education. He added that startups have expanded their reach to 770 districts in India, showcasing the strength of India’s startup ecosystem. Furthermore, 48% of startups are founded by women, and 900 startups in the Northeast are led by women. Shah stated that the startup ecosystem has provided sustainable employment to 17.9 lakh people so far.
The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that since 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has created a supporting environment for startups and provided financial, policy, infrastructure, banking, and industry support for their growth. He said that a Fund of Funds of Rs 10,000 crore has been established, a Startup India Seed Fund with a corpus of Rs 945 crore has been launched, the maximum loan limit has been increased from Rs 10 crore to Rs 20 crore, support of up to Rs 20 lakh has been approved for Proof of Concept, and funding of up to Rs 50 lakh has been approved for prototype development. He further said that Prime Minister Modi launched Make in India, introduced PLI schemes in 14 key sectors, removed over 40,000 compliances, and removed more than 3400 laws from the category of criminal laws.
Amit Shah said that apart from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, no one else could have simplified and reformed GST. After a long time, the country has seen a leader like Prime Minister Modi in whom both taxpayers and the public can place their trust. He noted that Prime Minister Modi, with great courage and by taking all states along, successfully implemented GST. GST collections began at Rs 80,000 crore and today have crossed over Rs 2 lakh crore. Shah added that under GST reforms, Prime Minister Modi reduced the prices of many items by half, by one-third, and even to zero in some cases. Through GST reforms, Prime Minister Modi has shown the public that the government’s purpose is to raise revenue to run the country, not to exploit the people.
The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that since India’s independence, the public is witnessing such a massive tax reduction for the first time. He stated that GST reform is a bridge of trust between taxpayers and the government. Shah recalled that when the Modi government came to power, income up to Rs 2.5 lakh was tax-exempt, but today income up to Rs 12 lakh is taxed at zero. These two examples, he said, demonstrate that the government levies taxes not for exploitation, but for the people, for the country’s development, and for self-reliance. Shah said that his move will serve as a bridge of trust between taxpayers and the Government of India for decades to come.
Union Home Minister said that Gujarat has consistently ranked first in the country for startups for the past four years. He praised Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel for effectively implementing Prime Minister Modi’s vision on the ground, turning Gujarat into the center of the startup revolution. With 16,000 startups, Gujarat is among the top five states in the country, and with 6,650 startups, Ahmedabad is among the top four cities. Shah noted that startups are the leading sector among emerging industries in India, and that Prime Minister Modi had envisioned enhancing the speed, size, scope, and scale of this sector — a vision now being realized. He emphasized that where there is the capability to harness talent, the Government of India under Prime Minister Modi and the Government of Gujarat under Bhupendra Patel stand firmly with the youth like a rock. He added that both leaders are providing every possible support to turn the dreams of young people into reality. Shah concluded that the backbone of Prime Minister Modi’s vision of New India is the youth and the startup ecosystem. (PIB)