New Delhi, Jan. 17 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday envisaged a global leadership position for the Indian startup ecosystem, urging it to focus on innovative solutions for manufacturing and artificial intelligence after having achieved a significant feat in digital startups and services that put it in the third position globally. "Now is the time for our startups to focus more on manufacturing," he said on the National Startup Day, marking a decade of the Startup India Initiative launched by him on January 16, 2016 with the objective of making India a nation of job creators rather than job seekers. The PM said courage is the first condition for enterprise. Acknowledging the immense courage and risks the Indian youth have taken to make Startup India successful, he said: "Earlier risk-taking was discouraged in the country, but today it has become mainstream, and those who think beyond monthly salaries are not only accepted but also respected." "Ideas once considered fringe are now becoming fashionable," he said, citing his resolve to take political risks for the country. He said he is always willing to do any task that is good for the nation, irrespective of its adverse political fallout. The PM said he was always willing to take responsibility and accomplish such tasks that no other government wanted to undertake. Considering them "high political risks" , the previous government avoided those issues for decades out of fear of losing elections or power, he said. Like innovators, I also believe that if something is necessary for the nation, I must take the risk, he added. "In just 10 years, the Startup India Mission has become a revolution. Today, India is the world's third-largest startup ecosystem," PM said, adding that the initiative saw the number of startups in the country grow to over 2 lakhs from less than 500 a decade ago. In 2014 India had only four unicorns, now there are nearly 125 active unicorns and the world is watching this success story with amazement, he said. "The last 10 years have proven the country's capabilities. Our goal should be that India must lead the world in new startup trends and technologies in the next 10 years," he said. Modi said the growth momentum of startups will continue to accelerate as today's startups becoming unicorns, launching IPOs, and creating more and more jobs. In 2025 alone, nearly 44,000 new startups were registered, the largest increase in any single year since the beginning of Startup India. "These figures testify to how India's startups are driving employment, innovation, and growth," he said. "Startup India is not just a scheme, it is a rainbow vision connecting diverse sectors with new opportunities," he said. Through iDEX [Innovation for Defence Excellence], startups are competing with established players in defense manufacturing earlier. Through the scheme, new procurement pathways have been opened in strategic sectors, he said. He said the government has opened up the space sector and now nearly 200 startups are working in this field. Similarly, the drone sector is opened up for startups after removing outdated rules that had long held Indian innovators back, he said. In order to provide them market access, particularly in the public procurement, the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) is playing a significant role. About 35,000 startups and small businesses have onboarded GeM, receiving around half a million orders worth about Rs 50,000 crore, he said. Modi said the government launched Rs.1 lakh crore Research, Development and Innovation Scheme because "today's research becomes tomorrow's intellectual property" along with a deep-tech fund of funds to support long-term investment in sunrise sectors. He underlined the need to prepare for the future by working on new ideas in emerging domains that will play a crucial role in economic security and strategic autonomy. Nations leading in the AI revolution will have greater advantage, and for India this responsibility lies with its startups, he said. While addressing the event, Union commerce minister Piyush Goyal said Indian startups are currently active in over 50 sectors, including deep-tech, AI, machine learning, quantum computing, agri-tech, space tech, drone technology, aerospace, and rocket technology. "Startups are now present in every corner of the country, with nearly 50% originating from tier-II and tier-III cities, demonstrating that the startup revolution has truly become an Indian movement," he said....