PM Modi to Startups: The Next Decade Belongs to Quality and Deep-Tech

New Delhi | Jan 25, 2026 — On a crisp Sunday morning in the capital, Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked a turning point that is now impossible to ignore. Ten years after Startup India was launched, he credited young entrepreneurs for turning India into the world’s third-largest innovation ecosystem—and warned that the next decade will demand uncompromising excellence as global competition intensifies.

The signal came during the 130th episode of Mann Ki Baat, where pride quickly gave way to urgency.

“Today, the young innovators of India are scripting history,” Modi said. “This decade belongs to excellence.”

The Bet Few Understood — and Fewer Expected to Scale This Fast

When Startup India arrived in January 2016, it was a risky wager on youth, creativity, and economic reinvention. Critics doubted whether India could move beyond services to build global products.

Ten years later, the inertia has flipped. India is producing startups across frontier domains once dominated by government labs and foreign technology: AI, semiconductors, space, nuclear innovation, green hydrogen, mobility, and biotechnology.

The map has expanded at speed — from Bengaluru to Tier-2 cities and university clusters. Digital public infrastructure has moved from local experiment to global differentiator. Investors no longer view India merely as a growth market; they view it as a deep-tech alternative.

India isn’t waiting for the future; it’s racing to shape it.

Mediocrity Becomes the Enemy

Even as the ecosystem scaled, PM Modi shifted quickly to what comes next. Celebration is no longer the point; competitiveness is.

“Quality, quality and only quality,” he insisted. “The era of shortcuts and compromises is over.”

From textiles and electronics to software packaging, he urged founders and manufacturers to hit global standards — linking competitiveness to sustainability through the ‘Zero Defect, Zero Effect’ doctrine.

In a world where supply chains are being rewritten and frontier tech defines diplomacy, quality is no longer a nicety; it is market access, credibility, and power.

Innovation Must Expand — or India Risks Leaving Value on the Table

Prime Minister Modi widened the definition of innovation, arguing that India’s problem-solving advantage extends beyond startups. Citizen-led movements are reviving rivers, managing droughts, and mobilizing communities - proof that innovation has roots deeper than venture capital.

He cited the revival of the Tamsa River in Uttar Pradesh and watershed work in Ananthapur, Andhra Pradesh. These are not side stories; they signal a national pattern of iterative problem solving.

Culture, too, is shifting at speed. The rise of “bhajan clubbing” blends devotional music with modern beats, revealing a generation capable of remixing heritage and modernity — the same synthesis deep-tech founders rely on when bridging old industries with new protocols.

India AI Impact Summit: The Next Sprint Begins

Looking forward, Modi announced that the India AI Impact Summit will be held next month — a move expected to draw global technology leaders and position Indian startups at the center of AI deployment across sectors.

This is not just a conference; it’s a signal. AI is now an arena where nations compete for standards, supply chains, and strategic leverage. India intends to participate as a builder, not a consumer.

Urgency in the Second Decade

Ten years of Startup India unlocked participation and ambition. The next decade decides outcomes. Speed, quality, and global credibility will determine whether India remains a startup success story or becomes a full-fledged innovation economy.

For founders, the message landed as both validation and pressure: the window for excellence is open, and the world is watching.