New Delhi [India], January 25 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday highlighted the 10th anniversary of the Startup India initiative, noting that the ecosystem has grown from under 500 startups in 2016 to over 200,000 recognised entities today, while addressing the nation during the 130th episode of his monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat.

Referring to a social media trend in which people are refreshing their memories of 2016, the Prime Minister said he, too, wished to share one such memory with the country. PM Modi recalled that a decade ago, an ambitious but crucial journey was initiated for the youth and the future of India -- the Startup India mission.

'Ten years ago, in January 2016, we started an ambitious journey. At that time, many could not even understand what it was,' PM Modi said, adding that the true heroes of this journey are India's young innovators who stepped out of their comfort zones and created history.

Highlighting the progress made over the past decade, the Prime Minister said India has today emerged as the world's third-largest startup ecosystem.

'These startups are out of the ordinary. They are working in sectors that could not have been imagined ten years ago - AI, space, nuclear energy, semiconductors, mobility, green hydrogen, biotech, you name it, and you will find an Indian startup there,' he added.

The Prime Minister praised the nation's youth for driving innovation, job creation, and investment, cementing India's position as a global leader in the startup landscape, adding that India's growing economy has placed greater responsibility on its citizens.

'Bharat's economy is growing rapidly, and the eyes of the world are on us. At such a time, our biggest responsibility is to focus on quality,' he said.

The Prime Minister said the era of 'it happens, it's fine, it will work' is over. He called for an uncompromising focus on quality across all sectors, urging citizens to adopt the mantra of 'quality, quality and only quality.'

PM Modi further stressed that Indian products, whether textiles, technology, electronics or packaging, must become synonymous with world-class quality. He reiterated his vision of 'zero defect, zero effect,' first articulated from the Red Fort, saying that sustained commitment to quality is essential to accelerate India's journey towards becoming a Viksit Bharat.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on this year's first Mann Ki Baat address, touched upon a wide range of topics, including tomorrow's Republic Day celebrations, National Voters' Day, the cultural importance of bhajan and kirtan, and India's role in the AI Impact Summit.

Startup India was launched on January 16, 2016, by the Prime Minister as a national programme to nurture innovation, promote entrepreneurship and enable investment-driven growth, with the objective of making India a nation of job creators rather than job seekers.

Over the past decade, Startup India has emerged as a cornerstone of India's economic and innovation architecture, the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement.

'It has strengthened institutional mechanisms, expanded access to capital and mentorship, and fostered an enabling environment for startups to grow and scale across sectors and geographies,' the PMO said.

India's startup ecosystem has witnessed unprecedented expansion during this period, with more than 2,00,000 startups recognised across the country. These enterprises have become significant drivers of employment generation, innovation-led economic growth and the strengthening of domestic value chains in diverse sectors. (ANI)