New Delhi, Jan 16 (AHN) Startup founders on Friday hailed various government’s initiatives to empower entrepreneurs, especially from the smaller cities and towns, adding that India has always been a land of entrepreneurs and these initiatives are helping put a proper framework in place to support them.

Calling the 10-year journey of Startup India a revolution shaped by millions of dreams and youthful imagination, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the initiative has gone far beyond being a government scheme to become a defining movement of new India, while addressing startup founders, innovators, and young entrepreneurs at Bharat Mandapam here on National Startup Day.

“It was a wonderful experience. I was very excited to meet one-on-one with Prime Minister and explain our capabilities, the potential of our products, and the kind of impact they can have on society as well as within the government ecosystem,” Commander (Retd) Sudheesh TM, CTO, MistEO, told AHN.

“I thank the Startup India Mission for making it possible. The interaction was excellent. Prime Minister was very attentive, listening carefully to our explanations about our projects and products, and he even asked thoughtful questions. It was truly a memorable and inspiring experience,” he added.

Samuel John, Co-Founder and CEO of mistEO, said that India has always been a land of entrepreneurs, and these initiatives are helping put a proper framework to support them.

According to Neha Chauhan, CEO and Co-founder of AeroBaY, receiving the ‘Startup India National Startup Award’ feels like a dream come true for any entrepreneur.

“We’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time, and I still can’t believe it. I truly believe that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has created an amazing initiative through various schemes, whether it’s the Startup India Fund Scheme or the NIDHI Prayas Yojana,” she told AHN.

Highlighting that India has emerged as the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem in just ten years, PM Modi noted that the number of startups has grown from fewer than 500 in 2014 to over two lakh today, while the count of unicorns has risen from four to nearly 125, with Indian startups increasingly launching IPOs, creating jobs, and attracting global attention.

Purvi Roy, Founder and CEO of Arista Vault, said that PM Modi stated that his vision about startups began in 2016, when there were only a few hundred startups in the country.

“At that time, he recognised that many people were struggling to find jobs, and the idea of Startup India was born... I am also a beneficiary of this initiative,” Roy added.

Devika Chandrasekharan, Founder and MD of Fuselage Innovations Pvt Ltd, said that when we started the company, it was just a two-member team. The startup is addressing critical challenges across the farming sector.

“The idea came after a flood in our area, which inspired us to develop solutions for farmers. We built two drones to address problems such as crop damage and plant treatment methods,” Chandrasekharan said.

According to Hyphen SCS Co-founder and CEO, Arun Pandit, it is a proud moment for them. “We have won many awards across India and abroad but achieving this recognition at the national level is very emotional. We are extremely proud, deeply moved, and our team is highly motivated to take India’s innovations to the global stage,” Pandit told AHN.