PM will unveil Start-up India plan on January 16

Urges states to take it to the poor, beyond the cities

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the action plan of “Start-up India, Stand-up India” will be unveiled on January 16 and urged all states to help spread this campaign across the country, particularly beyond urban and semi-urban areas.

Seeking to boost entrepreneurship at the grassroots level, Mr Modi said the programme will be designed to suit Indian conditions and focus on ensuring benefits for young people from the lowest strata of society. “My dear young friends, in my August 15 address from the Red Fort, I had made preliminary mention about ‘Start-up India, Stand-up India’. After that, this has spread to all departments of the government. Can India be a ‘Start-up Capital’ Can the youth in states have opportunities in the form of start-ups, with innovations, whether in manufacturing, service sector or agriculture In everything, there should be freshness, new ways, new thinking. The world cannot move ahead without innovation,” he said in his monthly Mann ki Baat radio programme, the last one in 2015. The PM had made the announcement in his last Independence Day address.

The PM said the “Start-up India, Stand-up India” plan would bring new opportunities for youth. “On January 16, the Government of India will unveil the full Action Plan of Start-up India, Stand-up India... A structure will be presented before you. This programme will be connected to IITs, IIMs, Central universities and NITs. Wherever there are youth, they will be linked through ‘live connectivity’,” Mr Modi added.

The programme is aimed at promoting bank financing for start-up ventures and offer incentives to boost entrepreneurship and job creation. Mr Modi, in his 20-minute address, said the government will design the programme in such a way that the country’s needs are best served. Giving an indication, he said if some young person develops something through innovation to make a poor labourer’s life comfortable, he would ask the banks to help such people.

“This ‘Start-up India, Stand-up India’ should not be limited only to cities but spread to every nook and corner of the country. In this context, I urge states also to push this campaign. On January 16, I will be with you to give a detailed overview of the campaign,” he said.

Mr Modi also coined a new term — “Divyang” (people with extraordinary capabilities) in place of “viklang” (handicapped) — saying it was often found such people had capabilities which even so-called normal people did not. He said the National Youth Festival, on the theme of “Indian youth on development skill and harmony” will be held in Raipur from January 12 to 16, and will coincide with the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.

Mr Modi also extended Christmas greetings to all Indians, and hailed the country’s diversity, saying that due to this the nation gets to celebrate festivals one after another. “India is full of diversity. There are a host of festivals. Even before one festival ends, another comes. Sometimes, it seems India is a ‘festival-driven economy’. They are the reason for economic activity for poor people,” he added.

The Prime Minister also greeted fellow citizens on the occasion of the coming new year, expressing the hope that it brings all Indians happiness, new hope, new enthusiasm and new resolve to touch greater heights. He said festivals and the New Year celebrations drew a lot of tourism, and urged people to keep all tourist destinations clean so that a good image about India presented to the world.

Referring to the direct benefit scheme for LPG subsidy, Mr Modi said 15 crore people were benefiting from it, and the “Pehal” scheme had made it to the Guinness Book of Records.