Noting that Indian youth are demonstrating huge talents and capabilities across the world, heading several global companies, Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal has said the journey of Atmanirbhar Bharat is powered by technology and innovation which is helping the youth become job creators rather than job seekers.
“Over 90,000 startups registered with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) have created a million jobs directly and many more indirectly,” the Minister said in his keynote address at the valedictory session of the Annual E-Summit Consortium 2023 of Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (VNIT), Nagpur, through virtual mode.
Goyal appreciated the startups for providing solutions which are simple but highly effective for people and businesses. This improves ease of doing business and ease of living, he said.
The Minister also said there is gender parity in startups as nearly half of the startups are having at least one woman director and women entrepreneurs are leading many successful startups. He opined that startups make India a nation of technology and ideas.
Goyal lauded the visionary and astute leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the last nine years which has turned India into the third largest Startup ecosystem of the world.
The Minister said India is respected and valued across the world as a centre of technology. He noted that as a nation, India has found its true respect in the comity of nations and new Bharat is offering friendship and partnership to the world.
India is moving relentlessly on the path of becoming the largest economy of the world while ensuring the growth is sustainable and inclusive, Goyal said.
He noted that the efforts of the government have led to successful steering of India’s economy, efficient handling of COVID pandemic and laying of foundation blocks of an emerging superpower.
The Minister also appreciated VNIT for bringing together different stakeholders like investors, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, etc on a common forum and encouraging startups and entrepreneurship in the region.
Goyal highlighted the achievements of the government in good governance, e-governance, whole-of-government approach of working, National Education Policy 2020, circular economy, renewable energy, climate change, etc.
He said digital connectivity and urbanisation in smaller towns and cities is being undertaken to enable youth to work in hybrid mode catering to the demand of Indian technical and managerial talent across the world.
The Minister said it is significant that India’s overall exports in FY 2022-23 is expected to be around $ 765 billion in the 75th year of independence, with growth in both goods and services, when the global situation is so challenging.
He also mentioned that the landmark collection of Goods and Services Tax in February 2023 is the result of greater formalisation and significant growth momentum of the economy. He said the recently released Foreign Trade Policy 2023 has several features reflecting Atmanirbhar Bharat as a powerful and strong nation ready to engage with the world as an equal.
He said the government is working for the convergence of academia, industry and investors. He opined that the way forward for India is transformation through continuous reformation resulting in a new Bharat which is aspirational and progressing at a very high speed.
The Minister said indigenous and innovative thinking is the need of the hour and the students at VNIT will take this spirit of innovation along with them across the country.