‘India Is Next Global Innovation Hub’: Can you imagine that in the coming few years India can become the “superpower of startups”? Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani is confident that India will become a country with 1 million startups by 2035. He said that just as there were only 2,000 startups in 2015 and today there are 150,000, we can create new history by moving forward at the same pace. The strong foundation of Digital India, combined with the passionate thinking of the youth and technology, can take India to new heights.
Infosys co-founder and Aadhar card maker Nandan Nilekani has said something special about India’s future. He said that in the coming times, India can be at the forefront of the world in terms of startups. Nilekani says that by the year 2035, there can be 1 million startups in India. He said that in 2015 there were only 2,000 startups in our country. But now this number has increased very fast, and there are about 1.5 lakh startups. Nilekani said that every year the number of startups is increasing at the rate of 20%.
If this pace continues like, then by 2035, 10 lakh, i.e., one crore, startups can be created in India. He was speaking at a program recently. This program was the annual meeting of Arkam Ventures. There, he said that India’s digital system and the hard work of the youth, both together, can bring this big change. He also said that the growth of startups is very good for the country’s economy. This can give rise to new ideas, new businesses, and employment for lakhs of people. Nilekani feels that technology and digital facilities are increasing so much in India that in the coming years, India can become the startup hub of the world. Digital India became the basis of startups.
Nilekani said that a “virtuous cycle” is running in India in which a successful startup becomes the inspiration for many more startups. Giving an example, he said that just as digital platforms like UPI and Aadhaar brought a technology revolution to the country, similarly now startups and artificial intelligence (AI) are the next big wave. He said that WhatsApp has 600 million users, UPI has 400 million users, and PhonePe has more than 350 million users, which clearly shows that the digital infrastructure has become strong.
Nilekani further said that India now has four big forces to move forward—technology, capital (money), entrepreneurship (spirit of starting a new business), and formalization (coming inside the system). Together, these four things can grow the country’s economy at a rate of 8% every year. He said another big thing is that 50% of India’s wealth is stuck in the ground; that is, it is not being used properly. Also, he said that only 13 districts are contributing to half of the country’s GDP. This means that there is a lot of difference in many parts of the country; some areas are far ahead, and some are far behind.
Also Read: Sudha Murthy Reacts To 70 Hour Work Statement By Infosys
Similarly, some people are very rich, and the rest of the people earn very little. This is called regional inequality and income difference. To overcome these problems, Nilekani also gave some suggestions. He said that small traders should be brought into GST so that they can join the system. Also, he talked about strengthening the loan system linked to the Aadhar card so that small shopkeepers and businessmen can get money easily. He also said that it is very important to strengthen small industries (SMEs) because these are the backbone of the country and can provide employment to crores of people.
1 million Indian start-ups by 2035! It's happening due to binary fission and an explosion of new businesses in Bharat. More here👇 pic.twitter.com/kAKp86UuR1
— Nandan Nilekani (@NandanNilekani) March 24, 2025