India to celebrate January 16 as National Start-up Day

INDIA will celebrate January 16 as the ‘National Start-up Day’, prime minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday (15).

Addressing several start-ups across the country, Modi said, “To make the culture of start-ups reach the far-flung parts of the country, it has been decided to celebrate January 16 as ‘National Start-up Day’.”

He said the year 2022 has brought new opportunities for India’s start-up sector and organising the Start-Up India Innovation Week is important in the year when India’s independence will complete 75 years.

“In this decade, the decisions being taken by the government for innovation, entrepreneurship and startup ecosystem have three major aspects. Firstly, Entrepreneurship- to free it from beauracratic silos. Secondly, Innovation - Institutional mechanism needs to be developed. Thirdly, Handholding young innovators,” he added.

During the occasion, Modi interacted with more than 150 start-ups to boost the start-up ecosystem in the country, the prime minister’s office (PMO) said.

Start-ups from sectors including agriculture, health, enterprise systems, space, security, fintech, etc. are part of the interaction.

The PMO also said in a statement that more than 150 start-ups have been divided into six working groups based on themes such as: Growing from Roots, From Local to Global, Technology of Future, Nudging the DNA, Building Champions in Manufacturing and Sustainable Development.

As a part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav on the occasion of 75 years of India’s independence, a week-long event named ‘Celebrating Innovation Ecosystem’ is being hosted by the department for promotion of industry and internal trade, the ministry of commerce and industry, from 10 to 16 January 2022.

The event marks the sixth anniversary of the launch of the Startup India initiative under the Modi government.