New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today took a swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying projects in some areas of politics need to be launched repeatedly, unlike startups that turn to other avenues after one attempt fails .

Prime Minister Modi, while addressing the Startup Mahakumbh here without naming anyone, said many people have started startups and the number in politics is much higher. Some “have to be activated over and over again,” he said.

He said startup ecosystems are experimental and if a particular startup doesn’t take off, it moves on to new ecosystems, contrasting it with political ecosystems.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is confident of returning to power for a third consecutive term and presenting a full budget for the financial year starting April 1.

Normally, corporates postpone large events till the end of the elections, but at the three-day ‘Mahakumbh’ where startup entrepreneurs and people associated with the ecosystem came together just days after the elections were announced, it was a Come the signs, he said.

“You know what’s going to happen in the next five years,” he said, referring to the continuity of governance under his leadership after the April 19 to June 4 elections.

He said that in 2014, the number of start-ups in India was less than 100 and now there are 1.25 lakh registered start-ups and 1.2 million young people are directly associated with them.

“India today is the third largest startup ecosystem in the world…we have more than 100 unicorn companies,” he said.

He said that Indian startups have applied for more than 12,000 patents, but added that there are still many companies that do not realize the importance of filing patents.

Given the fast pace of development in the world, Prime Minister Modi urged entrepreneurs and innovators to apply for patents.

He said there was a time when education meant getting a job and a government job meant one settled down.

“That mindset has changed,” he said, citing the entrepreneurial revolution sweeping the country.

Previously, innovators with ideas would worry about funding, and it was believed that only those with funds could do business.

“Startup (culture) breaks this mentality and psychology… That’s how revolution happens… Young people are choosing more to become job creators than job seekers,” Modi said.

He said the youth of India have proven their mettle with the support of initiatives like Startup India and Standup India.

Prime Minister Modi said his efforts have been to unleash the potential of an industry rather than suppress it as was the approach of past governments.

“Today, Indian startups are excelling in frontier areas like space. Our startups have already launched space shuttles in such a short span of time,” he added.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)