The Centre will unveil a complete action plan for ‘Start Up India, Stand Up India’ on January 16.

This was stated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 15th edition of the Mann ki Baat radio programme on Sunday.

In his Independence Day speech, Modi had announced a new campaign ‘Start Up India. Stand Up India’ to promote bank financing for start-ups and offer them incentives to boost entrepreneurship and job creation in the country.

In his last Mann ki Baat of 2015, Modi said India can be a start-up capital of the world. All IITs, IIMs, Central universities, and NITs will be connected to the ‘Start Up India, Stand Up India’ programme.

“Youth in every corner of India have talent, they only need opportunity. This ‘Start up India, Stand up India’ should not be limited to a few cities. It should reach every corner of India,” he added.

In this year's Budget, the Modi government had announced a slew of measures to encourage start-ups, including setting up an India Aspiration Fund and an Atal Innovation Mission.

India is among the five largest start-up communities in the world and these outfits have created more than 80,000 jobs so far, according to the National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom).

The Centre may come up with tax breaks, set up more incubation centres and make the approval process easier as part of the action plan to boost the start-up ecosystem.

The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion has been given the mandate to run the ‘Start Up India, Stand Up India’ programme.

The Centre is also keen that the start-up energy is not confined to tech, but spreads to manufacturing given its greater job creation prospects.

In his address, Modi said that every citizen can connect with him by downloading the Narendra Modi App on his/her mobile phone.

Tourist destinations Modi underscored the need to pay attention to cleanliness in the country’s tourist destinations. “We believe in Atithi Devo Bhava , we clean our house when guests come over. Then, why shouldn't we clean our tourist destinations and keep them clean?”

srivats.kr@thehindu.co.in

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