CII CIES

UNICORN Summit

14th March 2024 | New Delhi, India

This exclusive event was a celebration of the dynamic contributions made by Indian unicorns to the growth and development of the nation.

With India crossing 100+ unicorns - a rare milestone - the summit stood out as a truly unique initiative.

The CII Unicorn Forum, under the leadership of Mr. Abhiraj Bhal Singh and Mr. Rahul Garg, organised the CII Unicorn Summit on 14 March 2024 in New Delhi to recognise and applaud the remarkable achievements of Indian unicorns, particularly their contributions to job creation and economic growth.

The theme, “Building the Nation: Indian Unicorns’ Contribution Unveiled,” reflected the transformative role unicorns played in shaping the country’s economic landscape.

By showcasing these contributions, the summit underscored the importance of nurturing an ecosystem that supports and accelerates high-potential companies, strengthening India’s position in the global business landscape.

The summit also aimed to inspire and nurture the next generation of entrepreneurs, fostering a culture of innovation and enterprise.

In the Media

14 March 2024

Startup movement must be driven by domestic financing, says Amitabh Kant

While speaking at the CII Unicorn Summit, Kant said the nation needs to create a fund of funds to support young deep tech startups

Indian startup movement must be driven by Indian financing and cannot depend on foreign funding, G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant said on Thursday.
While speaking at the CII Unicorn Summit, Kant said the nation needs to create a fund of funds to support young deep tech startups.

15 March 2024

Indian start-up movement must be driven by domestic finances”: Amitabh Kant

In fact, “Unicorns have become a national asset to India’s economy”, former CEO of the NITI Aayog, Amitabh Kant, said during the CII (Confederation of Indian Industry) Unicorn Summit.

India, as a country, has traversed from the inception of its first unicorn start-up in 2011 to now having more than 100 unicorns with an aggregate valuation of $350 billion. In fact, “Unicorns have become a national asset to India’s economy”, former CEO of the NITI Aayog, Amitabh Kant, said during the CII (Confederation of Indian Industry) Unicorn Summit. He said that the start-up India movement has led to a 15x increase in funding and a 9x increase in the number of incubators.

14 March 2024

Corporate governance, domestic funding key for India to be top startup nation: G20 sherpa Kant

Many startup entrepreneurs, being classic innovators, often prioritise innovation and disruption over corporate governance, he said.

For India to lead as the top startup nation, it is crucial to prioritise strong corporate governance and rely on domestic financing over foreign investments, India’s G20 sherpa Amitabh Kant said on Thursday.

“(A) Startup which has gone on to become a unicorn, must go on to become a big company in the future. That can only happen if you have good governance, proper audits, a good CFO, and if you have all the norms of good governance,” said Kant at the CII Unicorn Summit in New Delhi.

15 March 2024

Indian Financing Must Drive Start-up Movement, Can't Depend On Foreign Funds: Kant

Kant said the nation needs to create a fund of funds to support young deep tech start-ups.

The Indian start-up movement must be driven by Indian financing and cannot depend on foreign funding, G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant said on Thursday.

While speaking at a CII Unicorn Summit, Kant said the nation needs to create a fund of funds to support young deep tech start-ups. All upcoming start-ups have to be driven by Artificial Intelligence (AI), he said.