Govt now an enabler, not controller of enterprise: FM Sitharaman
New Delhi, July 18
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday said India has transformed into a preferred destination for innovation and enterprise, urging young entrepreneurs to seize emerging opportunities and build globally competitive businesses from the country.
Addressing the Special Plenary Session of the YiFi Entrepreneurship Summit 2026 in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, FM Sitharaman said India today offers a stable policy environment, regulatory certainty and world-class infrastructure that make it an attractive destination for startups and businesses.
"India is the place to innovate and do business, backed by a stable government, policy certainty, a predictable tax regime and a responsive, approachable government," the Finance Minister said.
The minister said the Narendra Modi government's reforms have fundamentally redefined the role of the government from being a controller of enterprise to becoming an enabler of enterprise.
"Under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, the role of the Government has been redefined from being a controller of enterprise to becoming an enabler of enterprise," FM Sitharaman mentioned.
"Through formalisation, digitisation, regulatory reforms, GST and investments in infrastructure and connectivity, we have created an ecosystem where businesses can start, grow and compete with confidence," the finance minister added.
FM Sitharaman urged businesses to make full use of the opportunities emerging across sunrise sectors by embracing technology and innovation.
The Finance Minister also said India has moved beyond the mindset of self-doubt and is now contributing to some of the world's most advanced scientific and technological programmes.
"Businesses must come forward to utilise the opportunities emerging across sunrise sectors, leverage technology and innovation," the minister noted.
Calling upon the next generation of entrepreneurs to think ambitiously, FM Sitharaman said they should "build boldly, build responsibly, build for India, build for the world and above all, build for generations yet to come."
The Union Minister observed that the most significant boundaries in today's world are no longer geographical, as technology has made global markets accessible from almost anywhere while capital increasingly flows across borders in search of promising ideas.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Very inspiring words from FM Sitharaman. But I hope this 'enabler' approach also reaches small-town entrepreneurs and not just those in metros. Real growth will happen when every tier-2 city can support startups.
Interesting perspective from the FM. In my experience working with Indian startups, the regulatory changes have been noticeable. The challenge remains in consistent implementation across all states.
As someone who left a corporate job to start a small business in Coimbatore, I can say things are better. GST was painful initially but now it's smoother. More women entrepreneurs are coming forward too. 👍
Great to hear about policy certainty and predictable tax regime. But honestly, small businesses still struggle with compliance complexity. Hope simplification continues further. 'Build for India, build for the world' - yes! 🇮🇳
Moving from controller to enabler - that's the right shift for any government. India's digital infrastructure really enables remote work and global reach now.
Madurai mein YiFi summit! South India ka startup ecosystem bhi ab grow kar raha hai - yeh bahut achha hai. FM sahi keh rahi hain ki boundaries ab geographical nahi rahi. 🌏
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.