Global Startup Cultures – India and Pakistan

Young founders in India and Pakistan are craving robust tech ecosystems and dismissing their countries’ political differences to connect across borders. Success is important but so is social good as entrepreneurs collaborate online, and engage in dialogue about the future of their businesses and their countries.

Two Ecosystems With a Lot in Common

India and Pakistan share far more than a border. Both have huge, young populations, fast-growing smartphone use, and large numbers of engineers and developers, many of whom have worked for global tech companies or outsourcing firms. Both also have big informal economies and millions of people who are underserved by banks, retailers and transport.

That’s why the two startup cultures look alike in many ways. Founders focus on payments, lending, e-commerce, logistics, education and health, where technology can reach people that traditional businesses have missed. The “social good” streak the original article noticed comes from the same place: in markets with such obvious gaps, a commercial product and a public benefit often overlap.

Cross-border cooperation has always been limited by politics, trade restrictions and travel rules. The online conversations the original article described mattered precisely because they were one of the few channels founders on both sides could use freely.

India Builds Scale With Government Support

India’s government made startups an official priority in 2016. The Startup India initiative was launched on 16 January 2016 with an action plan of schemes and incentives to encourage innovation and private investment.

Ten years on, the numbers are large. According to the government’s Press Information Bureau, more than 2.23 lakh (223,000) startups had been recognized under the program as of 31 March 2026, and they reported creating more than 23 lakh direct jobs. More than 55,200 were recognized in the 2025-26 financial year alone, the most in any year since the program began. About 48% of recognized startups have at least one woman director or partner.

Those official counts measure registrations rather than how many companies thrive, but they show how far startup culture has spread beyond a few big cities. The government says startups are now present in every state and union territory, with Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Gujarat leading in both the number of recognized startups and the jobs they’ve created.

Bengaluru Joins the Global Elite

India’s flagship hub has climbed the global rankings. Startup Genome’s 2025 report moved Bengaluru up seven places to 14th in the world, citing its strength in software-as-a-service, AI and deep tech, along with a rich talent pool.

In the 2026 edition, Bengaluru was ranked 15th globally, with an ecosystem value of $152.8 billion, according to the Karnataka government’s summary of the findings reported by the Deccan Chronicle. It was also placed second in Asia for AI innovation.

Pakistan’s Boom and Bust

Pakistan’s ecosystem grew quickly during the global funding boom and then felt the downturn hard. Its most visible startup, Airlift, began in 2019 as a mass-transit ride service in Lahore and pivoted to fast grocery delivery when COVID-19 lockdowns halted its rides. The company raised $85 million in 2021 in what was then the country’s largest Series B round, at a valuation of $275 million.

Less than a year later, Airlift told employees it was shutting down after failing to close a new financing round, according to TechCrunch. The startup had operated in eight Pakistani cities, delivering groceries and other essentials in about 30 minutes. Its collapse became a symbol of how quickly foreign capital could dry up in a smaller, riskier market.

What It Means for Founders

India now offers one of the world’s largest startup ecosystems, with strong government backing and a home market big enough to build very large companies. Pakistan has the same raw ingredients, including talent and a young, mobile-first population, but less capital and more economic volatility.

For founders in both countries, the lessons from the last decade are similar. Build for the real needs of local customers, watch costs closely, and don’t assume the next round will arrive on time. The collaborative, socially minded culture the original article described is still an asset, especially for founders who can turn it into networks of mentors, partners and customers that last through a downturn.

North America | Latin America | European Union | Middle East and North Africa | Sub-Saharan Africa | East Asia | Southeast Asia | Australia and New Zealand