Arvind Kejriwal lays out plans at TiE Summit to make Delhi, a global startup hub

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal laid out plans of his government to make Delhi a global startup hub through collateral-free loans, world-class infrastructure and best quality human capital. Addressing the Indus Entrepreneurs Global Summit, he said there are over 7,000 startups in Delhi. This makes the city with the highest number of active startups in the country. (with an estimated valuation of about USD 50 billion)

"The Delhi government is at an advanced stage of rolling out a start-up policy. As part of the startup policy, we plan to provide collateral-free loans; set up a dedicated helpline for startups to address their concerns; help them use the government's doorstep service," he said. The Delhi government is taking "unprecedented" short and long-term steps to ensure startups have access to the best quality human capital in Delhi itself through Entrepreneurship Mindset Curriculum(EMC) in schools and Delhi Skill and Entrepreneurship University, Arvind Kejriwal said.

"We commit to taking as much as it takes to make Delhi a global startup hub," asserted the chief minister. Kejriwal said that the Delhi government aims to ensure that businesses bounce back strongly from the impact of COVID-19. The pandemic also affected Delhi's economy, he pointed out. "Many businesses are struggling to stay afloat and many people have lost their jobs. We want to create all the necessary conditions for businesses, and especially, startups to flourish.

A hub for startups, he claims.

He said between January and June this year, Delhi-NCR saw the rise of 109 startups. It is the highest number of startups being founded in the first six months of 2020 in India. "The report states that Delhi-NCR set to become one of the top five global startup hubs with 12,000 startups and 30 unicorns. Their cumulative valuation will be about 150 billion dollars by 2025," Arvind Kejriwal said.

For this to become a reality, the Delhi government, thus, aims to take all necessary actions to ensure Delhi becomes a destination for startups globally.

What all will he do?

"First and foremost, what all startups need is a good infrastructure. The Delhi government also aims to provide world-class infrastructure and services for startups and businesses in Delhi. This includes power supply, roads, public transport, water supply, education, and health infrastructure," he added. The chief minister also detailed the achievements of his government in strengthening water and power supply. He also laid out his plans and ongoing transport and road development projects.

The Delhi government is also setting up a high-tech business park at Rani Khera in 150-acres land. This will just be 15 minutes away from the Delhi International Airport, he said. "The first phase of the work will complete by August 31, 2022. In the first phase, we will build a multistoried building of 15 lakh square feet," Kejriwal said.

"To help startups grow, we will form a range of networks with incubators, co-working spaces, and fabrication labs. These networks will leverage the provisions of existing stakeholders in the market. We will also enable easy access to experts who can aid startups with accounting, taxation, registration, legal help, digital marketing, and other such services," he said. The Delhi government will align its public procurement in a manner that they procure a fixed percentage of all goods and services through recognised startups, Kejriwal said.

Aims at upskilling budding entrepreneurs

The Education Department is in the process of engaging close to 17,000 entrepreneurs for classroom interactions with students on EMC. For the best quality of human resources, Delhi Skills and also, Entrepreneurship University will upskill students and ready future-entrepreneurs of the country, he said. The university's first academic session will start next year. Then, it will have the capacity of enrolling at least 125,000 students in different courses.

The Delhi government will also set up world-class skill centres to provide skill-based training and degrees. It will also cater to the students by identifying future-centric jobs, he added.