Page 16 - NIS English 01-15 Aug, 2026

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Independence Day Special
Cover Story

2 Economy and

Financial Inclusion

India has witnessed a record surge in its economic growth rate,
becoming the world’s fastest-growing economy. The benefits of this
inclusive growth are reaching ordinary citizens directly, providing
a protective safety net for everyone.
10 12

58.63+ 2.41 lakh registered startups by 2026,

compared to around 350 in 2014. The
crore bank accounts number of unicorns has reached 125.
have been opened under India’s startup ecosystem has generated
the Jan Dhan Yojana; approximately 25 lakh jobs, and the
by July 1 2026, the country has become the third-largest
total balance in these startup ecosystem in the world.
accounts stood at ₹3.08
lakh crore. 13

11

Mobile manufacturing reached
₹5.5

lakh crore in 2026, up from a mere ₹18,000 crore
in 2014. Mobile phone exports stood at ₹2.6 lakh
crore in 2026, compared to just ₹1,600 crore in
2014.

14
A budget of
₹1.91

The volume of Unified Payments Interface lakh crore has been allocated
(UPI) transactions exceeded 24,162 crore for the Production Linked
in the 2025-26 fiscal year, up from just 2 Incentive (PLI) scheme.
crore in 2016-17. UPI’s global reach has
now expanded to nine countries. A digital By December 2025, 836
payment revolution has taken place, and India applications had been approved
across 14 industrial sectors.
has emerged as a global leader in real-time Incentives worth ₹28,748
payment systems.
crore had been disbursed by
December 31, 2025.

14 NEW INDIA SAMACHAR || Aug 01-15, 2026