Previous govts did not support youth during IT revolution: PM
HT Correspondent
BHOPAL: Previous governments wasted an entire decade in corruption and policy paralysis leaving youth confused about how to capitalise on the Information Technology (IT) revolution, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday.
Speaking via videoconference at the launch of the Madhya Pradesh government’s ‘Startup Policy 2022’, he said, “Indian youth always had an urge to solve problems with new ideas in India. We realised this during the era of the IT revolution.the need was to channelise the atmosphere created by it. At that time, our youth did not get the support. We have seen an entire decade spent in scams and policy paralysis. Our youth... were left confused due to the lack of policies of earlier governments.” “When our government came in 2014, there were around 300400 startups in the country. Today, the world of startups has changed in India. There are about 70,000 new startups in our country. India is the thirdlargest startup hub in the world. Eight years ago, there was very little discussion of the startup,” said the PM.
He added that a startup revolution flourished in the country through careful planning over the past eight years.
“We are also emerging as a force to be reckoned with in the world’s biggest unicorn startups. ...The bigger the volume of startups in India, the bigger is its diversity,” the PM said, adding that 50% of startups are coming from tier II and tier III cities.
Speaking at the event, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced a reduction in stamp duty on company registrations in the state. “We will try to establish Indore, Bhopal and other cities as startup hubs..,” the chief minister said.
Responding to the PM’S jibe, state Congress spokesperson Ajay Yadav said, “PM should have also informed people who brought IT revolution in India. These are old tactics of BJP leaders; to blame previous governments for everything. But they are unable to see rising inflation and unemployment in India.”