False start

Startup India's record shows why it should not exist

Given India’s continuing jobs crisis, the government has increasingly turned to entrepreneurship and start-ups as a possible way of meeting some of young Indians’ aspirations and employment demand that are not being fulfilled in the current system. This is wise, though it should be seen as a backup strategy at best and some aspects of its implementation are worrying. One major component of the government’s push in this direction has been the “Startup India” programme, which was meant to support new enterprises. The headline Startup India initiative was a Rs 10,000 crore fund of funds to be built up by