NEW DELHI: The Delhi government on Friday launched the Delhi Startup Yuva Festival 2026 at Netaji Subhas University of Technology, with Education Minister Ashish Sood describing students as key drivers of innovation and calling for stronger links between campuses and markets.
Addressing students, mentors and industry representatives, Sood said universities are no longer limited to academic instruction and are increasingly emerging as centres of entrepreneurship and innovation.
Referring to India’s startup ecosystem, the minister said the country had a limited presence in the sector before 2014, but has since witnessed rapid growth. India now has close to 125 unicorns and over 1.97 lakh DPIIT-recognised startups, making it the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem, attributing the expansion to policy-driven reforms.
Nearly 45% of Indian startups are led by women, Sood said calling entrepreneurship an effective tool for social and economic transformation. He said women-led enterprises have contributed to wider community development by generating employment and promoting inclusive growth.
The minister said the Delhi government, under CM Rekha Gupta is working to position the capital as a hub for student-led innovation. He added that the Startup Yuva Festival would be developed into an annual platform bringing together educational institutions, mentors, investors and industry stakeholders.
