Two interesting events took place on the sidelines of a startup conference I attended recently. I met a woman – a grandmother in her early 60s – who excitedly told me about the online grocery delivery business she started a year ago. She had come from Meerut and couldn’t wait to “scale” her “Awadhi Chaat” around the world. I also met a 14-year-old girl from Mangalore who was building a “Climate Intelligence” app to help farmers better prepare for extreme weather events. Together, the grandmother and teenager captured the entrepreneurial spirit that is sweeping India. From Meerut to Mangalore, we build in India for the whole world.
The relentless rise of enterprising India is a spectacle that not only amazes the developed world, but also inspires other developing nations to aim higher and build more. Thanks to increasing digitization, the barrier to entry to become an entrepreneur in India is very low and getting lower. It is not surprising that India has climbed nearly 80 places in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Index. India has the world’s third largest startup ecosystem, which now includes more than 70,000 startups. Even better, more than half of these startups are headquartered in non-metropolitan cities. The young Indian learns and works today not with the mindset of a job seeker, but with the mindset of a job creator. India at 75 forever preparing for India.
The largest democracy in the world is also the fifth largest economy in the world with an average age of under 30 years. India today has the perfect trifecta of ambition, skill and capital to create world-class companies across multiple sectors. This is possible because today we do not hide from our problems but face them with the energy and creativity of a young nation. Solutions for India are solutions for one sixth of humanity. The Indian government is leading the way in catapulting India into the big league of global disruptors through measures such as Digital India and Startup India. We have already created the largest middle class in the history of the world by lifting millions of people out of poverty. Now we have to give everyone a fair chance to develop their talents.
There are very few countries in the world whose history of development is comparable to that of India. Even more so as it moves from an agricultural and service-based economy to a knowledge-based and product-based economy. However, sustainable national progress depends on the continued convergence of education, technology and innovation. We need to train our children in critical thinking and problem-solving skills that will be vital to the future of work. Keeping up with the rapidly changing technological landscape requires the vision that the National Education Policy 2020 boldly demonstrates. As a leveler and climber, education is a critical component in building a nation that will provide a billion Indians with a solid foundation to foster multi-year economic growth, upward social mobility and autonomy.
Today, India is a “can-do” nation. By making the right decisions, everyone in India can be successful. We must now work together in this Amrit Kaal with a mindset of full potential, which I see as 25 years of limitless opportunity in this new land of opportunity. We must gather enough courage not only to take charge of our own destiny, but also to improve the lives of others. By turning our many challenges into diverse opportunities, India will realize its full potential. As Mahatma Gandhi said, “To believe in something and not live it is dishonest.”
I have no doubt that before the end of this century India will be the most powerful, happiest and most generous country in the world. You only have to meet an entrepreneurial grandmother and entrepreneurial teenager to see this for yourself. In fact, only in India could the son of a teacher growing up in a village achieve his dream of helping millions learn better.
(The author is the founder and CEO of BYJU’S)
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