A DECADE IN NUMBERS There is a version of India’s startup story that begins with a number: 502. That is how many startups the government had formally recognised when Startup India was launched in January 2016. By March 2026, that number stood at 2,23,000. The numbers saw a 444-fold increase in a single decade. Those…
A SCENE REPEATED 75 LAKH TIMES Picture a vegetable vendor in Lucknow. Before June 2020, if her cart was washed out in the monsoon, there was no bank that would lend her the few thousand rupees she needed to restock. The moneylender would, at 60% interest. The PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) scheme,…
India and Finland have launched a Strategic Partnership in Digitalisation and Sustainability, focusing on AI, 6G, digital public infrastructure, and green energy to boost inclusive growth. Both countries also aim to double bilateral trade by 2030 and strengthen cooperation in technology, innovation, and sustainability. India and Finland have elevated their bilateral relationship to a “Strategic…
In a world of monopolistic e-commerce, India’s ONDC is perhaps one of the boldest experiments in social and economic ecosystems. Conceived under DPIIT, it aims at allowing small sellers to strive against giant digital players like Amazon and Flipkart by leveling the field. Beyond policy announcements and press statements, ONDC is something bigger: it is…
UPI Logo | Photo Credit: Internet Clear Cut Livelihood DeskNew Delhi, UPDATED: Oct 17, 2025 12:58 ISTWritten By: Janmojaya Barik A Trillion Transactions and Growing Within a decade, India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has transformed from a government-supported pilot project to the lifeblood of a digital economy. Developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) in…
Clear Cut Research, Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning DeskNew Delhi, UPDATED: Sep 12, 2025 12:55 ISTWritten By: Abhas Vyas Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly recognized as a driver of inclusive growth, particularly in rural areas where service delivery gaps persist in healthcare, education, agriculture, and governance. For AI to truly serve as a public good in…
