Jammu, January 16, 2026 : Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Earth Sciences, Dr. Jitendra Singh, on Friday said India has witnessed a transformational surge in entrepreneurship, with the number of startups crossing over two lakh, propelling the country into the top three globally in the startup ecosystem.
Addressing the StartUp City Camp organised by the BioNest Bio-Incubation Centre on National Startup Day at CSIR–Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM), Jammu, the minister said India’s startup journey reflects a remarkable shift in mindset and opportunity creation.
“From just 350–400 startups a few years ago, India today has more than two lakh startups, ranking third in the world. The results speak for themselves and show how far we have come,” Singh said.
He observed that young people have always possessed talent and potential, but earlier lacked proper direction and enabling platforms. The Startup India movement, he said, helped channelise this talent into productive entrepreneurship.
Highlighting Jammu and Kashmir’s contribution, Singh said Doda emerged as the birthplace of the Purple Revolution, which has now gained nationwide recognition. “From Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh to Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland, Himalayan states are celebrating this success,” he said.
The minister emphasised that agriculture has emerged as a powerful startup domain, breaking the perception that startups are limited to IT. He noted that India’s vast agricultural base and 10,000-km-long coastline offer immense untapped opportunities for innovation and enterprise.
Referring to the Startup India and Standup India initiatives launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, Singh said these schemes marked a turning point by providing policy clarity, financial support and market access.
He further said that nearly 45–50 per cent of startups are now coming from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, dismantling the myth that innovation is confined to metropolitan hubs like Bengaluru, Mumbai or Hyderabad. “Another misconception broken is that one needs a PhD to start a startup. Many successful founders are not even graduates,” he added.
Citing the lavender initiative as a model of grassroots entrepreneurship, Singh said its success was driven by on-site distillation units, strong market linkages and access to national markets. He underlined that the government is extending full support in terms of technology, finance and market connectivity.
The minister also highlighted the growing participation of women, stating that around 60,000–65,000 startups out of the total two lakh are women-led. “The lavender success story has broken several myths — that only scientists can lead, that women cannot lead, and that startups must be metro-centric,” he said.
Calling for mentorship and early guidance, Singh said schemes like Vigyan Jyoti are crucial in identifying and nurturing talent at the right stage, especially in smaller towns and rural areas.
