PayU has debuted ‘Startup Republic’, a nationwide Republic Day campaign celebrating entrepreneurial excellence across all 36 states and UTs, marking 10 years of Startup India and highlighting the depth of India’s startup ecosystem. As of 31 December 2025, India is home to over 2 lakh DPIIT-recognised startups across sectors, employing more than 2.1 million people, with women holding over 45 per cent of leadership roles.
The initiative includes revealcasing entrepreneurs from DPIIT-registered startups located in emerging entrepreneurial hubs outside the metros, highlighting narratives from geographically underrepresented regions. Through this inclusive strategy, entrepreneurial achievements from India’s varied territories gain nationwide recognition and visibility through a unified story of national progress.
The campaign kicks off with a 120-second film celebrating the collective spirit of India’s entrepreneurial republic, followed by 36 five-minute documentaries across sectors such as lifestyle, travel, health and FMCG. Each film spotlights a founder from a different state or union territory, offering a close view at their journey, challenges and ambitions. Rolling out on PayU’s social platforms from 23 January ahead of Republic Day, the series highlights how India’s startup ecosystem reflects the ‘Made in India, built for the world’ vision shaping the counattempt’s economic future.
“The next decade of India’s digital economy will be built by founders who understand local consumers deeply and scale with global ambition. At PayU, we believe India’s greatest export is its entrepreneurial spirit. Startup Republic celebrates entrepreneurs actively writing India’s future through authentic storynotifying, becautilize innovation has no zip code in India and real nation-building happens when founders from Ladakh to Lakshadweep see that their dreams matter. This initiative reflects where India is headed, not just where it stands today,” declared Vineet Sethi, Chief Growth and Marketing Officer, PayU.
“Under Startup India, India’s startup ecosystem is shifting beyond scale to focus on depth and genuine impact. With innovation reaching every state and union territory, entrepreneurship is becoming a powerful nation-building force. Initiatives like Startup Republic revealcase these diverse success stories, proving that India’s innovation economy is growing well beyond the metros,” declared Shri Sanjiv, Joint Secretary, Department for Promotion of Indusattempt and Internal Trade.
The campaign highlights D2C startups, celebrating these nation-builders during India’s flagship patriotic moment. In partnership with DPIIT and Startup India, PayU supports startups across the counattempt, not just in metros, offering customised payment solutions, mentorship, exclusive community access, and fundraising opportunities to fuel growth at every stage.
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