“The Indian story has been narrated so well abroad,” Nikhil Kamath says last decade was transformative for Indian startups

As India’s startup ecosystem celebrates a transformative decade, Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath remarked that a stable government policy and consistent governance are key drivers behind the country’s entrepreneurial surge, differentiating India from many of its global peers.

Speaking to the media ahead of the 10th anniversary of the Startup India initiative, he said that startups “have had a great decade in India for many reasons; stable govt and consistency in policy is something of a novelty in the regions we are competing against.”

Kamath says last decade was transformative for Indian startups

This long-term policy clarity, the entrepreneur said, has given India a competitive edge over markets where regulatory environments have been more volatile.

Kamath also noted that India’s narrative abroad has significantly improved investor confidence.

With global investors growing cautious about Europe, China or even the U.S., India’s startup story, buoyed by supportive policies and rapid digital adoption, has been received with palpable optimism, he added.

According to the Zerodha boss, founders across sectors, from fintech to health tech, point to enabling policies, digital public infrastructure such as UPI and Aadhaar, and government advocacy as pillars of the ecosystem’s growth.

Many now view India as one of the world’s most attractive destinations for innovation and investment, fueling the creation of more than 100 unicorns and thousands of startups nationwide.

Entrepreneurial culture has also shifted. What was once a high-risk career choice is increasingly “cool” among Indian youth, Kamath observed, reflecting a broader societal endorsement of startups as engines of job creation and economic transformation.

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India’s startup journey enters its second decade

Yet, while the narrative is largely positive, some founders caution that continued collaboration between entrepreneurs, regulators and policymakers will be crucial to sustain momentum, particularly as competition intensifies and global economic conditions evolve.

As India’s startup journey enters its second decade, insights from leaders like Kamath suggest that policy consistency and cultural shifts, alongside robust infrastructure and global storytelling, will continue to shape the nation’s entrepreneurial landscape.

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