- Published on March 17, 2025
- In AI Startups
India Needs a Million Startups to Hit an $8 Trillion Economy by 2035
“A combination of push and pull will bring millions of these companies into the formal sector in the next decade,” Nandan Nilekani said.
Image by Nalini Nirad
- By Vandana Nair
At the recent Arkam Annual Meet 2025, themed ‘The Great Unlock India in 2035’, entrepreneur and Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani sparked a cheer from the crowd when he said by 2035 there would be a million startups. He quickly followed up with, “Just saying. You guys have to make it happen.”
Nilekani, who outlined the path to reach an $8 trillion economy in the next decade, believes India’s startup ecosystem will play a crucial role in achieving this goal.
“When the economy is growing at 8%, startups will grow at 20%, reaching a million startups by 2035,” Nilekani said. He stressed that the surge in entrepreneurship, combined with the nation’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and AI adoption, is expected to fuel unprecedented economic acce
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Vandana Nair
As a rare blend of engineering, MBA, and journalism degree, Vandana Nair brings a unique combination of technical know-how, business acumen, and storytelling skills to the table. Her insatiable curiosity for all things startups, businesses, and AI technologies ensures that there's always a fresh and insightful perspective to her reporting. She now hosts her tech segment 'Point Break' on AIM Tv.
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