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BUSINESS & TRADE APRIL 11, 2025 | The Indian Eye 30

BIGGER & BETTER: Govt asks

Indian firms at Startup Mahakumbh

to raise the bar and go global

OUR BUREAU
New Delhi
ommerce Minister Piyush
Goyal, speaking at the second
Cedition of the Startup Maha
Kumbh on Wednesday, touched on
the nature and scope of Indian start-
ups and urged them to think of big
and innovative solutions
“I only wish they’d had more Indi-
an investors, rather than the foreign-
ers buying off all our startups. And
yes, we need more Indian investors
into the game. And look at what the
other side is doing, robotics, auto-
mation, machine learning, preparing
ourselves for 3d manufacturing, next
gen factories that are more efficient
and that compete with the rest of the
world,” he said
The Union Minister said Indian
startups need to be willing to evolve
and not be afraid of competition. “We Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal shows a victory sign at the inauguration of 2nd edition of Start-up Mahakumbh, at Bharat
must learn (from other countries). We
must be willing to evolve, we have to Mandapam in New Delhi on Thursday (ANI Photo/Jitender Gupta)
be able to learn, we want to aspire to
be bigger and better and bolder. And nations such as Australia, the EU, the be organised this year. Delegates ment and said, “The support from
we should not shy of the competition,” UK, the US, Peru, Chile, New Zea- from 64 countries are coming to take the Government of has been instru-
he said. land, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar. Our am- part in it.” mental towards propelling the vision
Speaking of the nature of start- bitions are to compete with the best He further said that a grant chal- of Viksit Bharat 2047, and we hope to
ups India is setting up, he said India in the world,” he said, galvanising the lenge has been announced by various play an integral role by organizing the
needs to raise the bar and help pre- startup entrepreneurs who have con- corporate houses in which a grant of ‘World’s Biggest Showcase of Innova-
pare the future of the nation. verged at the Startup Maha Kumbh. Rs 50 crores will be given to various tion’ - Startup Mahakumbh.”
“We need to invest heavily to be- On January 16, 2025, India marked start-ups and they would be mentored. Prashanth Prakash, Founding
come self-reliant, building chips, AI nine years of Startup India, a trans- The event’s unmatched scale and Partner, Accel and Startup Ma-
models which will prepare the nation formative journey that began in 2016. diversity of participants will provide hakumbh Organizing Committee
for the future,” he said. India has about than 1.6 lakh an invaluable platform for entrepre- Member, said, “The second edition
“We need to go global. We need startups recognised by the Depart- neurs, investors, and thought leaders of Startup Mahakumbh will prove to
to think big; we need to be ambitious; ment for Promotion of Industry and to come together, share ideas, and be a gamechanger as it returns with
we need to experiment. We need to Internal Trade (DPIIT). India has the create lasting connections. a bigger, bolder and better vision and
go beyond the boundaries of our own third largest startup ecosystem. With a strong focus on fostering agenda. These events underscore
thinking. Let’s not limit ourselves Ahead of the second edition of innovation and collaboration, Startup the importance of public and private
with the past. Let us explore the un- ‘Startup Mahakumbh’, Department Mahakumbh will lay the foundation for partnerships in achieving a common
known,” he suggested. for Promotion of Industry and Inter- the next wave of entrepreneurial success. agenda of propelling India to the top
Talking about his government, nal Trade (DPIIT) Joint Secretary During this year’s edition, Trib- of the startup ecosystem globally.”
Goyal said under Prime Minister Na- Sanjiv Singh said that nearly 3000 al entrepreneurs are also set to take Sanjeev Bikhchandani,
rendra Modi’s guidance and leader- startups will be participating this time the stage with participation from 45+ Co-founder and Executive Vice
ship, they are not aiming small. in the event. startups, including those incubated at Chairman, Info Edge and Startup
“Under Prime Minister Modi’s Sanjiv Singh said, “This year’s IIM Calcutta, IIM Kashipur, and IIT Mahakumbh Organizing Committee
guidance and leadership, we are not Startup Mahakumbh is bigger and Bhilai. Member, added, “The startup indus-
aiming small. We are not looking at better than last year. Pavillions have Archana Jahagirdar, Founder try is Darwinian in nature and these
agreements with countries who are in been set up in area double than last and Managing Partner at Rukam forums help follow best global prac-
a situation which is even worse than year’s. Nearly 3000 startups will be Capital and Startup Mahakumbh tices and drive innovation to build
what India is. The Modi government participating this time, as compared Organizing Committee Member, ap- capital for businesses that can not
is doing trade agreements with big to 1500 last year. Masterclasses will plauded the efforts from the govern- only transform India but the world.”

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