New Delhi [India], January 16 (ANI): On India's National Startup Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about the contribution of women in the success of Startup India and how over 45 per cent of Indian startups have at least one woman director or founder.

Prime Minister noted that women have played a major role in the transformation of India's startup ecosystem. 'Daughters of the country have played a major role in this transformation,' he added.

He also emphasised India becoming the world's second-largest ecosystem in women-led startup funding, underlining that this inclusive momentum is further strengthening India's potential.

Today marked the 10th anniversary of National Startup Day and on this occasion Prime Minister spoke about Indian startup ecosystem's growth trajectory. He pointed out that ten years ago, there were fewer than 500 startups in the country, while today, the number has risen to more than two lakh.

He noted that in 2014 India had only four unicorns, whereas at present, there are nearly 125 active unicorns, and the world is watching this success story with amazement. He further highlighted that the momentum of Startup India continues to accelerate, with today's startups becoming unicorns, launching IPOs, and creating more and more jobs. He stated that in the year 2025 alone, nearly 44,000 new startups were registered, the largest increase in any single year since the beginning of Startup India, and these figures testify to how India's startups are driving employment, innovation, and growth.

He also highlighted that India's startups not only originate from big cities like Bengaluru and Delhi but also come from tier-2 and tier-3 cities and this reflects the amount of opportunities India's startup ecosystem provides to today's youth. (ANI)