BENGALURU: Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh on Saturday said India’s startup ecosystem can sustain its growth only through continuous research, innovation, industry partnerships and entrepreneurship, as he inaugurated the RISE Conclave 2026 in Bengaluru.
Addressing startups, researchers, industry representatives and students, Singh said India has witnessed remarkable growth in the startup sector since the launch of the Startup India initiative in 2015. From around 350-400 startups a decade ago, the country now has more than 2.3 lakh startups, generating nearly 25 lakh jobs and making India the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem.
Explaining the concept behind the RISE Conclave, Singh said the platform seeks to bring together four key pillars — Research, Innovation, Startup and Entrepreneurship (RISE) — under one roof. He stressed that startups require constant value addition through innovation and strong industry linkages to remain sustainable and scale successfully.
He said more than half of India’s startups now originate from Tier-II and Tier-III cities, dispelling the notion that entrepreneurship is confined to major metropolitan centres. He said the government is working to ensure that opportunities in innovation and startups reach every part of the country.
Singh identified space technology, biotechnology, nuclear energy, artificial intelligence and agri-tech as key drivers of India’s future economy. He said reforms undertaken in recent years have opened several sectors to private participation, creating new opportunities for innovation-driven enterprises. Singh also emphasised the need to align research and education with industry requirements and encouraged young innovators to consider entrepreneurship as a viable career path.
He urged parents to support aspiring entrepreneurs and adapt to the rapidly changing technological landscape. The conclave brought together researchers, entrepreneurs, industry representatives, students and policymakers to discuss opportunities in innovation, startups and emerging technologies.