New Delhi, Delhi, India | 24th January 2026: PayU has launched ‘Startup Republic’, a nationwide Republic Day campaign highlighting India’s entrepreneurial excellence across all 36 states and union territories. Timed with the milestone of #10YearsOfStartupIndia, the initiative celebrates the country’s thriving startup culture, promotes inclusive innovation, and showcases the depth of India’s entrepreneurial talent.
As of December 31, 2025, India’s startup ecosystem includes more than 2 lakh DPIIT-recognized startups spanning D2C and multiple business sectors. These startups have created employment for over 2.1 million people, with women holding over 45% of leadership roles as directors or partners—underscoring the ecosystem’s growing diversity and impact.
A key focus of the campaign is amplifying voices from emerging startup hubs beyond metro cities. PayU is spotlighting entrepreneurs from DPIIT-registered startups located in geographically underrepresented regions, ensuring their stories receive nationwide recognition. Through this inclusive narrative, the campaign presents a unified vision of India’s entrepreneurial progress.
The campaign begins with a 120-second hero film capturing the collective spirit of India’s “entrepreneurial republic,” followed by 36 five-minute documentary films. Covering sectors such as lifestyle, travel, health, FMCG, and more, each film features a founder from a different state or union territory and offers insight into their journey, challenges, and ambitions.
Rolling out across PayU’s social media platforms from January 23, ahead of Republic Day celebrations, the films reflect the ethos of “Made in India, built for the world.” Together, they demonstrate how India’s startup ecosystem is reshaping the nation’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. Startup Republic celebrates entrepreneurs shaping India’s future through authentic storytelling. Innovation has no zip code in India, and real nation-building happens when founders from Ladakh to Lakshadweep see that their dreams matter,” said Vineet Sethi, Chief Growth and Marketing Officer, PayU.
“Under Startup India, the ecosystem is moving beyond scale toward genuine impact. With innovation reaching every state and union territory, entrepreneurship is becoming a powerful nation-building force. Initiatives like Startup Republic showcase this diversity and prove that India’s innovation economy is expanding far beyond metros,” said Shri Sanjiv, Joint Secretary, DPIIT.
The campaign highlights D2C startups, a vital segment of PayU’s merchant ecosystem, bringing these entrepreneurs into focus during India’s most significant patriotic moment. Under its MoU with DPIIT, PayU collaborates with Startup India to support startups across the country through customized payment solutions, mentorship, exclusive community access, and fundraising opportunities.
PayU also operates InFiNity, India’s leading fintech accelerator, which has supported 60 startups across two cohorts with one-on-one mentorship, strategic partnerships, and over $5 million in investments, enabling innovation to scale into sustainable businesses.
Watch the film: youtu.be/pw0gGHXj9zc
