As Startup India Turns 10, A Look Back At SheThePeople's Growth

When SheThePeople partnered with the Government of India's newly-launched 'Startup India' mission in 2016, it felt like the beginning of a long, promising journey in championing stories that mattered. Founded by the ever-zealous journalist Shaili Chopra (who would not take no for an answer), it was then a novice company building its identity with a simple belief that women’s narratives deserved a bigger stage. 

Today, SheThePeople has grown into one of Asia's biggest digital ecosystems of women, amplifying voices, powering communities, and redefining the conversation around women's ambition.

Over the years, this network has reached over 500 million audiences across different digital platforms, steadily expanding its influence and deepening its impact on the world.

Startup India turns 10 this year, and it feels imperative to look back at SheThePeople's journey with the initiative, tracing how those first steps helped bring women’s voices to the centre of India’s startup landscape.

10+ years of making women's ambitions impossible to ignore

It was a gamechanging moment as Shaili Chopra joined 1,200 women entrepreneurs at the Startup India Standup India event at New Delhi's Vigyan Bhawan on January 16, 2016.

India's entrepreneurship landscape was still largely male-dominated, with limited visibility and support for women founders. Yet, the relentless spirit in the room was palpable.

This event marked the beginning of an impacful partnership between SheThePeople and the Startup India, becoming a testament of how systematic support and mentorship can unlock new opportunities for women entrepreneurs.

In the years that followed, SheThePeople became a powerful platform for showcasing women-led ventures, telling the stories of founders who were breaking barriers and challenging norms.

From the Digital Women Awards celebrating trailblazing entrepreneurs to the Women Writers' Fest becoming a creative and intellectual home for women storytellers, SheThePeople has continuously built spaces where women’s ideas, talent, and ambition are seen, heard, and celebrated.

The journey prestigiousBombay Stock Exchange partnerships, signalling that women-led ventures were not just participants, but key players in India’s financial and business corridors.

Shaili Chopra's presence as an investor and mentor on Zee TV's Ideabaaz further amplified this impact, offering a dynamic marketplace and mentorship platform for women with ideas ready to scale.

Together, these efforts have transformed SheThePeople from a storytelling platform into a full-fledged ecosystem that nurtures talent, builds community, and ensures that women’s voices in entrepreneurship are seen, heard, and celebrated across India and beyond.

Startup India at 10 Years

Startup India is the Government of India's flagship initiative to support entrepreneurs, promote innovation, and create an ecosystem where founders can grow, scale, and thrive.

As the program completes 10 years in 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that it has become a “revolution” in India, positioning the country as the third-largest startup ecosystem in the world.

"Ten years ago, there were fewer than 500 startups in the country; today, that number has grown to over 200,000," the Priime MInister said at a recent media event.

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal shared that over 2 lakh startups have enrolled with Startup India in the past decade, with almost 50 recognitions daily.

In the past decade, the Government has adopted timely and agile policy interventions to make the startup ecosystem robust and business-friendly.

The focus has been on encouraging innovative ideas and helping them scale.

Now, with India's strengthening trade partnerships with… pic.twitter.com/aBRlD9XkG1

— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) January 16, 2026

This growth is no longer confined to major metropolitan hubs like Bengaluru or Mumbai; today, 48% of startups are emerging from Tier-II and Tier-III cities, spreading opportunities across the country.

That's why platforms like SheThePeople matter, as they not only chase growth, but also uplift ideas that often go unheard, turning potential into impact and rewriting the rules of entrepreneurship.

SheThePeople’s decade-long journey with Startup India underscores its commitment to making women’s ambitions impossible to ignore, turning humble stories into inspiring movements.