Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday 15 January interacted with startups across the country to strengthen the startup ecosystem in the country. During this, he also made a big announcement. PM Modi said that from now on January 16 every year will be celebrated as National Start-up Day in the country. He said that start-ups are raising India’s stature all over the world. This is the reason that in order to increase the reach of start-ups to far flung areas across the country, it has been decided to celebrate it as National Start-up Day on 16 January.
PM Modi said through video conferencing that I congratulate all those startups of the country, all the innovative youth, who are playing the flag of India in the world of startups. Actually, 6 years of Start-up India have been completed across the country. While interacting with the start-ups on this occasion, PM Modi said that, our effort is to create an attraction towards innovation among the students in the country right from their childhood and to institutionalize the innovation.
This decade of India Techade
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that more than 9000 Atal Tinkering Labs are giving children an opportunity to innovate in schools and work on new ideas. This decade is being called the Techade of India. In fact, in this decade, the government is making massive changes to strengthen the innovation, entrepreneurship and start-up ecosystem.
Improvement in Global Innovation Index ranking
In his address, PM Modi said that the campaign that is going on in India regarding innovation, has the effect of that there has been a tremendous improvement in the ranking of the country in the Global Innovation Index. He said that in the year 2015, where India was ranked 81 in this ranking, now it has improved to number 46.
New India will have an important participation
The Prime Minister said that the participation of start-ups will be very important in New India. He said that in the year 2013-14, where 4,000 patents were approved, last year more than 28,000 patents were granted. Similarly, about 70 thousand trademarks were registered, which has increased to 2.5 lakh in the last year. In 2014, where only 4 thousand copyrights were granted, they have now crossed 16 thousand.
42 companies became unicorns
PM Modi said that while one or two big companies used to move ahead, 42 companies have become unicorns in the country last year. These companies worth thousands of crores are the hallmark of a confident India.