Today Durability Defines Success For Startups
Startup policy and regulation are evolving alongside the ecosystem, making exits more predictable and less dependent on foreign capital
Ramki Gaddipati, Co-Founder, APAC CEO & Global CTO, Zeta
FinTech BizNews Service
Mumbai, 15 January 2026: As a testament to the monumental success of the Startup India Initiative, January 16 has been designated as National Startup Day.
Startup India is a flagship initiative of the Government of India under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), launched on 16 January 2016 with the vision of building a strong and inclusive startup ecosystem across the country. Over the past decade, the initiative has introduced key programmes and policy measures to support entrepreneurs, encourage innovation, and enable startups to grow and scale.
As Startup India completes 10 years, National Startup Day 2026 marks an important milestone in India’s entrepreneurial journey. The occasion provides an opportunity to reflect on the progress made over the last decade, recognise the contributions of startups in driving economic growth and job creation, and reaffirm the government’s commitment to nurturing innovation-led development. National Startup Day stands as a celebration of India’s startup ecosystem and its role in shaping a future-ready, self-reliant nation aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.
Ramki Gaddipati, Co-Founder, APAC CEO & Global CTO, Zeta, explains:
“India’s startup ecosystem has entered a more mature phase over the past decade, shifting from a focus on rapid scale to building enduring businesses. Ten years ago, ambition and speed defined success; today, durability does. The post-2021 valuation reset has made capital more discerning and expectations more grounded, signalling an ecosystem that is growing up rather than slowing down.
As Startup India completes a decade, policy and regulation are evolving alongside the ecosystem, reducing uncertainty for investors backing long-cycle businesses, particularly in regulated businesses like fintech. This is beginning to reflect in exit outcomes, with over 40 technology IPOs in 2025 and growing participation from domestic investors, making exits more predictable and less dependent on foreign capital.
At Zeta, having completed a decade of building mission-critical banking infrastructure, we’ve seen this shift firsthand. Startups today are judged less on speed or funding momentum, and more on platform resilience, regulatory readiness, and long-term technology depth. The next decade will be defined by depth over hype and value that endures beyond market cycles.”
