The government has been working tirelessly under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to create an ecosystem that is conducive to growth of businesses and, in particular, startups, Dr Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development, said on Thursday.

Speaking at an event during the ‘ITU-WTSA 2024’ in the national capital, the minister said “we are at a pivotal point where emerging technologies are converging and laying the foundation of a new world”.

Since the launch of “Startup India, Standup India” initiative in 2015, India has emerged as the third largest ecosystem for startups globally, with over 1.12 lakh government-recognised startups.

“The academic research and startups are solving problems in diverse industrial sectors. The Bharat 6G Alliance, a vital platform uniting industry leaders, academia, startups and government, is set to drive 6G innovation, guided by the vision of ‘Innovate in India, for India and the World,’” said the minister.

He advised youngsters to start small but think big and act now. “You don’t need all the resources in the world to begin — just conviction. Many waits for perfect conditions or significant funding, but the best time to start is now. Action creates momentum, and momentum fuels success,” Dr Pemmasani told the gathering at the ‘Innovation Xchange’ event.

Madhu Arora, Member Technology, Digital Communications Commission, Department of Telecommunications, urged ITU to collaborate with India in areas like 5G intelligent villages and AI-led ‘Digital Twins’ technology.

Dr Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT), ITU, said it is important to remember that people decided to innovate because they wanted to improve the quality of life and open new doors of opportunities and choice.

“Technology is just a means to an end. I call upon everyone in the development sector to work towards unmasking technology and showing its human impact. This includes coordinating food supply, medication, and shelter to save humanity,” he noted.