Page 57 - MANN KI BAAT (English)
P. 57
Startup India at 9
Empowering Small Cities and Bold Dreams
a life jacket.
Fast forward to today, and
I find myself surrounded by a
generation that doesn’t just
dive in—they’re building the
pool while swimming. The 9th
anniversary of Startup India isn't
just a milestone; it's a testament
Nikhil Kamath to how far we've come. We’re
Investor and Entrepreneur no longer a country known for
just executing ideas from the
West. Young India is stepping
up, solving uniquely Indian
problems, and creating solutions
that the world can learn from.
Look at the data from
WTFund, which received nearly
4,000 applications across its first
When I think about two cohorts.
entrepreneurship in India today, The average applicant?..
it feels like watching a new story 22.5 years old. Some as young
unfold—one that’s nothing like as 16. These kids are out here
the one I grew up with. Back starting companies, not just in
in the 80s and 90s, the idea Bengaluru, Mumbai, or Delhi,
of taking risks meant getting but in cities like Ambala, Hisar,
a government job with job Kangra, and Bilaspur. About 35%
security or choosing between of applications came from Tier 2
engineering and medicine. and Tier 3 cities. This isn’t just a
Anything beyond that felt like metro phenomenon anymore;
diving into the deep end without it’s a nationwide movement.
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