Putting paid to the ages-old notion that Indians only taste success once they go abroad, Union Minister Jitendra Singh reiterated that India is now in the lead as far as the global startup economy, innovation world, and patents filed are concerned.

Addressing a two-day Startup Conclave organized by CSIR institutes together, Singh has brought to the forefront India's transformative journey—from being bracketed among the "Fragile Five" economies in 2013 to now being one among the world's top five economies.

“Our startup ecosystem now ranks third globally. The Global Innovation Index has surged from 81 to 39. In terms of patent filings, we’re sixth in the world. Out of 64,480 patents filed recently, over 55% were by resident Indians,” the minister said.

Citing the legendary names of Nobel laureate Har Gobind Khorana, Singh highlighted that although previously it was thought that scientific brilliance involved emigration, nowadays the creators are demonstrating otherwise. "A large number of young Indian inventors who have secured patents have never even ventured abroad," he mentioned, highlighting the presence of talent, infrastructure, and opportunities in India itself.

Singh also attributed the government with their efforts in drastically increasing science and technology support. "While in 2014, the total grant for CSIR and DSIR was a mere Rs5,615 crore, in the current budget it has increased by a whopping amount of Rs13,416 crore," he stated.

Impelling greater synergy between science innovation and industry, the minister urged that it is time Indian science overcomes silos and engages actively with industries, investors, and citizens to create a robust, sustainable startup ecosystem.