‘Start-up India’ action plan to be unveiled on Jan 16: PM

The PM urged the states to help spread this campaign across the country’s nook and corner. Modi, who had made the announcement about the campaign in his last Independence Day address, said the programme will be designed to suit Indian conditions and focus would be on ensuring benefits for the youth from the lowest strata of the society.

“In my August 15 address, I had made preliminary mention about ‘Start-up India, Stand-up India’. After that, this spread to all the departments of the government. On January 16, the government of India will unveil the full Action Plan of Start-up India, Stand-up India.

A structure will be presented before you. This programme will be connected to the country’s IITs, IIMs, central universities and NITs. Wherever there are youth, they will be linked through ‘live connectivity,” the Prime Minister said in his monthly ‘Mann ki Baat’ radio programme, the last one for this year. The ‘Start-up India, Stand-up India’ campaign, which the PM said has brought new opportunities for the youth, is aimed at promoting bank financing for startup ventures and offer incentives to boost entrepreneurship and job creation. 

“Can India be a ‘Start-up Capital’? Can the youth in the states have the opportunities in the form of start-ups, with innovations, whether it be manufacturing, service sector or agriculture? In everything, there should be freshness, new ways, new thinking. The world cannot move ahead without innovation,” he said. Modi, in his 20-minute address, said the government will design the programme according to the needs of the country. Giving an idea, he said if some youth develops something through innovation to make a poor labourer’s life comfortable, he would ask banks to help such people.      

The PM said it was wrong to assume that the assets of knowledge are confined to some cities only and added that youth with capabilities are spread all over the country. “They want opportunities. This ‘Start-up India, Stand-up India’ should not be limited to only some cities but spread to every nook and corner of the country.

In this context, I urge the states also to push this campaign. On January 16, I will be with you to give a detailed overview of the campaign,” he said while welcoming suggestions from people, if any.