“Together, we can solidify India's position as a global entrepreneurship leader.”

National Startup Day in India, observed on January 16th, is a significant occasion that celebrates and acknowledges the efforts of entrepreneurs, innovators, and startups across the country. Introduced in 2022, this day aims to honor the contribution of the startup ecosystem in driving economic growth, job creation, and technological innovation. Expressing thoughts on the importance of this special day, Khadim Batti, cofounder and CEO, Whatfix writes what it brings to the forefront of the startup ecosystem. 

The Indian startup ecosystem stands at an exciting yet pivotal juncture today. We are seeing a clearer shift towards sustainability in business practices and Gen-AI in everything. Additionally, investors are more discerning than ever; they want startups with robust business models, emphasizing operational efficiency and ensuring that value is delivered consistently to customers. This shift presents an opportunity for startups to recalibrate, optimize resources, and focus on creating measurable impact.

With these trends, I see 2025 as a year of 'userization'—a fundamental shift in how technology is designed to meet the unique needs of individual digital users. Putting the onus on the technology to be user-savvy and not the other way around. With EX and CX taking priority, and rightly so, the focus will increasingly be on building personalised, intuitive solutions that can adapt to real-world user requirements, even more so with the Gen-AI integration across technologies.

Keeping users and customers first, 50% of our product roadmap is directly influenced by customer feedback. In fact, Whatfix was the only digital Adoption Platform to be recognized as the “Customer Choice 2024” in Gartner Peer Insights' Voice of the Customer report. This shift toward user-first innovation—focusing on individual needs rather than broad cohorts—is not only reshaping existing industries but also creating entirely new categories. It is positioning India as a global leader in digital transformation.

Entering 2025, the ecosystem is ripe for the emergence of new product categories, driven by startups that are solving existing problems and creating entirely new ones. The rise of personalized digital adoption platforms and seamless user experiences are just a few examples of how innovation is paving the way for the next wave of growth.

To sustain this growth, greater collaboration among startups, investors, and policymakers is crucial. Government initiatives like the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme and the removal of Angel Tax provide essential support. However, continued success will also require addressing challenges such as access to talent, competition, and global economic uncertainty. 

Policymakers play a critical role in simplifying regulations, providing financial incentives, enabling access to global markets and talent, and fostering a conducive environment for innovation. Startups, in turn, must actively engage with policymakers, providing valuable insights and feedback to shape growth-oriented policies.

By fostering this collaborative environment, we can create an ecosystem where innovation flourishes, funding flows seamlessly, and startups achieve global recognition. Together, we have the opportunity to cement India's position as a global leader in entrepreneurship and technological innovation, aiming to double the number of unicorn startups in the next five years and significantly increase the contribution of startups to India's GDP.