Speaking at Startup Mahakumbh, an event being organized by Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) former Niti Aayog chief, Amitabh Kant emphasized the need for supreme innovations in areas of solar, batteries, and EVs for India to advance and highlighted China's dominance here. He encouraged Indian startups to lead in deeptech sectors like AI, drones, space geostational maps, EVs and electronic manufacturing.

Amitabh Kant, former Niti Aayog chief executive stated that “It is important for India to maintain its sovereignty in technological advancements and lead from the front. The country must avoid becoming a mere imitator of Western countries or any other nation. Doing more for less is critical and this is what startups can do. Open-source will be the way forward. We must build sovereign frontier models based on our own datasets and not have inherent biases towards the West." 

He added, "This is the age of huge disruption. India must demonstrate that we are willing to make a quantum jump forward in deeptech, that we are able to make a huge disruption in areas of space, battery, drones, green technology.”

 

 

Kant revealed that the number of recognized startups has grown from 400 in 2016 to over 1, 61,000 in 2025, citing the success of the Startup India initiative.

 

Also Read: Brands Empowering and Prioritizing the Ethical Handloom

 

Discussing China, Kant highlighted the country's dominance in the solar market, where it holds a share of over 70percent, along with approximately 74percent in the battery market and nearly 80percent in the electric vehicle sector. He emphasized that these are key areas where India must make significant progress.