ITANAGAR, Jan 23: Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Friday said that India’s startup ecosystem has witnessed transformational growth over the last decade, with Arunachal Pradesh emerging as a strong and competitive contributor, particularly from the North East.
Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of Startup Arunachal Day 2026, as a part of the Innovation Month - 10 Years of Startup India, organised by the Department of Planning and Investment, the Chief Minister recalled that the Startup India initiative was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2016, at a time when the number of startups in the country was limited. He said that in the last ten years, the ecosystem has expanded to over two lakh startups nationwide, with a significant presence in Tier-II and Tier-III cities and substantial participation by women entrepreneurs. He noted that startups have generated nearly 20 lakh direct jobs across the country.
Referring to Arunachal Pradesh’s journey, Khandu said the Arunachal Pradesh Innovation and Investment Park(APIIP) was launched in 2020, during the challenging period of the COVID-19 pandemic. He said the state converted the crisis into an opportunity through collective efforts led by the Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein, who also holds the Finance, Planning and Investment portfolio, the Planning Department and the APIIP team. Since then, the programme has completed five years and has produced several successful entrepreneurial stories from the state.
Citing examples, he referred to startups that overcame challenges related to finance and market access and eventually scaled up with institutional support. He said such success stories reflect the potential of the state’s youth,  who only require proper handholding and the right platform.
The Chief Minister said Arunachal Pradesh’s youth have excelled in multiple fields over the past decade, including sports, music and entrepreneurship. He reiterated that the government has been providing seed funding and mentorship under APIIP and announced that, based on its performance, the seed funding amount has been doubled. He also announced that the intake capacity for the upcoming Cohort 5.0 would be doubled.
He further stated that the government has advised the Planning Department to identify a larger space for APIIP to strengthen its institutional capacity. He added that the post of Director (Investment) has already been created to reinforce the startup ecosystem. He announced that APIIP would be converted into a Section 8 company under the Companies Act to enable access to venture capital, CSR funds, angel investments and national and international financial institutions for enhanced startup support.
Emphasising the importance of collaboration, the Chief Minister urged startups to work closely with universities, higher education institutions and research bodies, noting that many solutions to real-world problems already exist within academic institutions. He also highlighted the scope of drone technology in Arunachal Pradesh’s mountainous terrain, citing its potential for logistics, healthcare delivery and infrastructure support.
Speaking on broader economic challenges, he said manufacturing remains a national concern and informed that the Government of India is considering the formation of a high-level committee to strengthen the manufacturing ecosystem under the Make in India initiative. He said northeastern states must collectively identify areas of contribution, citing examples such as semiconductor manufacturing in Assam and ancillary opportunities for neighbouring states.
Highlighting Arunachal Pradesh’s strength in hydropower, the Chief Minister said the state is emerging as a major power hub, with around 18,000 MW of hydropower projects under various stages of development, including a major project nearing completion this year. He stressed the need for startups to explore ancillary industries linked to large investments to improve cost efficiency and project viability.
The Chief Minister congratulated the APIIP team for Arunachal Pradesh being recognised as a best-performing state at the national startup event held at Bharat Mandapam, chaired by the Prime Minister. He said the achievement demonstrates that the state can compete with larger states and called it a strong motivation to further raise benchmarks.
He said the government has signed MoUs with higher education institutions to establish startup cells and announced that budgetary provisions would be made to provide financial support to these institutions. He also stated that allocations under schemes such as the Deendayal Upadhyaya Swavalamban Yojana would be enhanced to facilitate more entrepreneurs.
Calling upon the youth to utilise the favourable national startup ecosystem created under the Prime Minister’s leadership, the Chief Minister urged them to remain focused, optimistic and responsible, including in their use of digital platforms and social media. He said the role of youth would be critical in achieving the vision of a developed India, developed North East and developed Arunachal Pradesh well before 2047.
Stressing teamwork and collaboration, Khandu said development goals can only be achieved by working together and not in silos, adding that synergy would multiply outcomes.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
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