The second meeting of the Startup20 Engagement group, newly formed under India’s G20 Presidency commenced today in Gangtok, Sikkim. At the Sikkim Sabha, the taskforce members (comprising of delegates from the G20 nations) of the Startup20 Engagement Group discussed and deliberated upon the first draft of the official policy communiqué. The Sikkim Sabha began with an inauguration session which was graced by over 300 dignitaries, G20 member and invitee countries, international organisations, and national delegates.
Chief Minister of Sikkim, P S Tamang while addressing the inauguration session of the Sikkim Sabha highlighted the importance of India’s G20 presidency. Chief Minister also said that StartUp20 is an opportunity to interact with key stakeholders in one platform to cater the needs of innovation, digitization, dynamic energy and breakthroughs in technology “the G20 presidency to India once again signifies the confidence and commitment of both the developed and developing countries’’.
Chief Secretary of Sikkim, V B Pathak said Startup20 is platform to support entrepreneurs, innovations, rural industries and to work with the task force to bring a sustainable eco system.
MoS for Commerce and Industry, Som Prakash while shedding light on the impressive growth of the startup community said, “Under the leadership of our hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi ji, India has become the third largest startup ecosystem in the world.”
Post the inauguration session, the taskforce members headed to five cafes on MG Marg along with the Startup20 team to deliberate and discuss their respective draft policy papers on Foundations, Alliances, Finance, Inclusion and Sustainability. Simultaneously, a fire side chat with Dr. Chintan: Sikkim Dialogues was conducted at Chintan Bhawan. The delegates then headed to the fifty Startup Showcase stalls, representing startups from the ecotourism, organic manufacturing, healthcare, education, and technological sector, spread across the MG Marg.
Startup20 is an official engagement group, established under India’s G20 Presidency. It acts as a dialogue forum with the G20 nations startup ecosystem stakeholders and intends to represent the startup ecosystem of the G20 nations to raise the macroeconomic concerns and challenges faced by the startup ecosystem players in these nations. Startup20 will work towards bringing forward key topics for discussion and formulating recommendations against each priority area. Through a consensus-based approach, the group will corroborate and consolidate the final recommendations to the G20 Presidency for discussion at the G20 Summit. Startup20 India will operate through Taskforces that are structured to develop key priorities and bring forward the topics in which recommendations would be formulated to support the startup ecosystems globally.