NEW DELHI: India has emerged as the third largest startup ecosystem in the world, with over 1. 59 lakh startups set up by the Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) as on January 15, 2025. This milestone was highlighted by a recent government announcement that shows that since the launch of the ‘Startup India’ initiative in 2016, these startups have created over 16. 6 lakh direct jobs, significantly transforming the employment landscape across the country.
The industry that contributed the most to job creation was IT services, which created 204,000 jobs; followed by healthcare and life sciences, which created 147,000 jobs; and professional and business services, which created about 94,000 jobs.
On 16 January, the government marked nine years of 'Startup India,' which is now marked as 'National Startup Day.' It has made entrepreneurship accessible to a larger population. While the main centers include Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Delhi-NCR, other cities have become more important in the context of the startup scenario.
Indian startups are gaining global recognition in sectors like fintech, edtech, health-tech, and e-commerce, where they are solving a lot of problems with their innovative solutions. Besides, the DPIIT confirmed that out of the first batch of 73,151 directors registered, at least one is a woman.
The Startup Mahakumbh 2024 event concluded recently with 48,000 participants and 1,300 exhibitors, once again proving the entrepreneurial spirit of India. The next edition will be held in New Delhi on March 7-8, 2025, again marking the continued growth and innovation of the country’s first event.
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