Sustainable Development & SDGs

GS Paper: GS Paper III | Subject: Economy

Prelims

PM Modi's call: Independence Day, August 15, 2015 | Launched: January 16, 2016
Nodal body: DPIIT (Dept. for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade)
Total startups: 10,000 (2016) → 2,50,000 (2025) — 25× growth
Funded ventures: 2,000 → 75,000 — 38× growth
DPIIT recognition: 3% → 77% of all startups
Tier 1 cities' share of new startups: 65% → 18%; Tier 3 towns: 15% → 71%
Women founder CAGR: 20% (men: 14%)
India now among top 4 startup nations globally
3 defining traits of startups: innovation, technology, scalable market opportunity

Geographic shift: Tier 3 towns now dominate new startup formation (71% in 2025 vs 15% in 2016) — digital infrastructure, broadband, and DPIIT recognition ecosystem enabling enterprise beyond metros
Women lag in early career: Only 21% of under-30 founders are women, despite 20% CAGR — barriers include capital access, societal norms, and family obligations
Quantity vs quality: 2.5 lakh startups but only 75,000 funded — 70% unfunded; policy must shift from startup creation to startup survival and scaling
DPIIT recognition not mandatory but valuable: Tax exemptions under Startup India make formal recognition attractive; growing uptake signals policy working
SDG linkages: Agri-tech, health-tech, edu-tech startups directly contribute to SDG 1, 3, 4 — especially in Tier 3 towns
GS3 exam angle: Connect to inclusive growth, Make in India, employment generation, women empowerment in economic sphere