Boosting Start-ups, Shaping India

Start-ups are turbo-charging India’s growth story. But a lot needs to be done to empower them further

- T.V. MOHANDAS PAI

THE GOVERNMENT HAS envisioned a remarkable goal for India@100: Viksit Bharat—a developed India. The nation undoubtedly has the potential to achieve this, with favourable tailwinds in demographics, domestic consumption potential, open economy frameworks, and technological adoption capacity. To realise this vision, India must invest in several force multipliers, one of which is its start-up ecosystem.

India’s technology-driven startup ecosystem is a testament to the determination of Indian entrepreneurs. The country hosts the third-largest start-up ecosystem globally, with over 138,000 ventures that have created $550 billion in value, including 115 unicorns and nearly 500 soonicorns. By 2027, the ecosystem is projected to create $1 trillion in value, host 200-plus unicorns, and employ more than 3.5 million specialised workers.

As the ecosystem continues to expand, start-ups are emerging as one of India’s strongest growth engines and force multipliers. While sectors such as e-commerce, fintech, and enterprise technology host the largest number of start-ups, Indian start-ups are not limited to these but also now operate across various industries: education, health, IoT, artificial intelligence (AI), biotechnology, logistics, defence, and space. Increasingly, companies are viewing public markets as a viable growth avenue, becoming hubs for growth where the average Indian can invest.