India's startup ecosystem is experiencing a significant milestone with the launch of the Startup Policy Forum (SPF), a new alliance aimed at advancing the interests of the country's leading new-age companies. The Forum will create a platform for collaboration between entrepreneurs, policymakers, and regulators, supporting the government's efforts to elevate Indian startups on the global stage. It will also bring together a dynamic community of entrepreneurs focused on building high-growth companies.
The SPF was founded by Shweta Rajpal Kohli, a public policy and media expert with over 25 years of experience in leadership roles at prominent venture capital, technology, and media firms, including Peak XV Partners, Sequoia Capital India, Salesforce, and Uber.
Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, praised the initiative, saying, "Our startups are leading transformative change by democratizing business and turning job seekers into job creators. The Startup Policy Forum will further strengthen India's global leadership in the new-age economy, playing a key role in our goal of becoming Viksit Bharat by 2047 under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi."
Shweta Rajpal Kohli, President and CEO of SPF, shared her thoughts on the launch, saying, "India has emerged as one of the most attractive hubs for innovation, thanks to the government's focus on nurturing the startup ecosystem. We are excited to bring together new-age entrepreneurs who are eager to collaborate with the government and regulators to bring about impactful policy changes."
In its initial phase, the SPF will limit its membership to 100 select startups, with over 30 rapidly growing companies already on board. These include leading fintech companies such as Razorpay, CRED, and Pine Labs, as well as prominent players in other sectors like Groww, Acko, OYO, Swiggy, Practo, Dream11, MPL, CARS24, CarDekho, CureFoods, Livspace, Ixigo, Ultrahuman, Digantara, Invideo, Jupiter, One Card, Mobikwik, Yubi, Progcap, and Bluestone.
To address sector-specific needs, SPF has set up four specialized councils: the Fintech Policy Council (FPC), Consumer and Commerce Council (CACC), Emerging Tech & AI Council (ETAC), and New-Age Public Companies Council (NPCC). These councils will work closely with regulators and other stakeholders to tackle challenges and seize opportunities in each sector.
SPF has also assembled a team of India’s top experts in public policy, legal affairs, taxation, and communications, who will advocate for the needs of the new-age companies. Soon, SPF will announce the creation of an advisory board and a mentor board, featuring global thought leaders and ecosystem enablers to guide the Forum's initiatives.
India is home to the world's third-largest startup ecosystem, with over 100 unicorns and many rapidly expanding startups. As the country approaches the ninth anniversary of the Startup India initiative, the growth of IPOs by new-age companies marks a significant step in the ecosystem’s maturity. To support this expansion, creating favorable regulatory frameworks is essential to sustain innovation and boost India's prominence on the global stage.
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