“Startup Nation, One District at a Time” — M Nagarajan Shares His Vision for Grassroots Innovation at TEDx Anant National University
- by: Jatin Chaudhary
When most people talk about startups in India, they talk about unicorns, VC rounds, blitzscaling, and metros.
But what if the real magic — the real potential — is waiting in districts we rarely hear about?
But what if the real magic — the real potential — is waiting in districts we rarely hear about?
That's what M. Nagarajan, IAS officer and currently the Vice Chairman and Managing Director of GSRTC, laid out in his recent TEDx talk at Anant National University.
A talk that doesn’t just inspire — it offers a blueprint.
Not a motivational monologue, but a detailed roadmap of how India can become a Startup Nation by 2047, powered by every district, every school, and every aspiring founder.
The Big Idea: Every District as a Venture Studio
Not a motivational monologue, but a detailed roadmap of how India can become a Startup Nation by 2047, powered by every district, every school, and every aspiring founder.
The Big Idea: Every District as a Venture Studio
Nagarajan calls for something revolutionary —
What if every district in India worked like a venture studio?
What if every district in India worked like a venture studio?
Not just symbolic incubation centres.
But real platforms where local talent, schools, colleges, and industries come together to turn grassroots problems into scalable solutions.
But real platforms where local talent, schools, colleges, and industries come together to turn grassroots problems into scalable solutions.
“We all want to design our own future,” he says.
So let’s give our youth the tools and trust to do that — not just in Bengaluru or Mumbai, but in Bhuj, Rajkot, Mehsana, and 775 other districts.
Why Now? Because India’s Moment Is Now
By 2030, India will have the largest working-age population in the world.
65% between the ages of 15 and 65. That’s a billion people with potential.
65% between the ages of 15 and 65. That’s a billion people with potential.
But potential without support leads nowhere.
Nagarajan argues that the cost of nurturing ideas is near zero — design thinking, business model canvases, even mentorship — these are tools that don’t require heavy infrastructure.
“There is no marginal cost in transforming an idea.”
What we need is a system — an ecosystem that takes an idea from spark to scale.
The 1000-Day Startup Journey
Nagarajan outlines a powerful truth: most ideas fail not because they’re weak, but because they don’t survive the early journey.
That’s where a district-level venture studio can step in.
From ideation → prototyping → early-stage support → go-to-market → scale.
All of this, done locally. Backed by HNIs from the region, colleges, district administrators, and even local industries who can be the first customers.
Forget Unicorns. Build Impact Unicorns.
Forget Unicorns. Build Impact Unicorns.
Nagarajan flips the script on startup ambition.
Why chase a $1B valuation when you can build for a billion people?
Why chase a $1B valuation when you can build for a billion people?
That’s the idea of an Impact Unicorn — scalable, yes, but rooted in real-world problems.
Imagine a rural health solution built by a student in Mehsana.
Or a logistics product coming out of Rajkot that ends up serving global markets.
These aren’t pipe dreams. These are already happening.
This Vision Has Been Lived Before It Was Spoken
Or a logistics product coming out of Rajkot that ends up serving global markets.
These aren’t pipe dreams. These are already happening.
This Vision Has Been Lived Before It Was Spoken
This isn’t just policy-speak.
M. Nagarajan has built this from the ground up:
> As Collector of Mehsana, he turned the district into a real-world pilot zone for startups.
> At Surat Smart City Mission, he was recognized nationally for tech-enabled urban governance.
> He was honoured by the Election Commission of India for his innovative tech work during Gujarat’s 2012 elections.
> As the Executive Director of i-Hub and Commissioner of Higher Education, he’s helped fund over 6000 student startups and supported 800+ patent filings.
> As Collector of Mehsana, he turned the district into a real-world pilot zone for startups.
> At Surat Smart City Mission, he was recognized nationally for tech-enabled urban governance.
> He was honoured by the Election Commission of India for his innovative tech work during Gujarat’s 2012 elections.
> As the Executive Director of i-Hub and Commissioner of Higher Education, he’s helped fund over 6000 student startups and supported 800+ patent filings.
Today, as Vice Chairman and MD of GSRTC, he continues to champion technology as a great enabler of social change — both in mobility and mindset.
What Makes This TEDx Talk Stand Out
What Makes This TEDx Talk Stand Out
Because it’s not just a “speech.”
It’s a manual for India’s next big leap — where grassroots talent meets systemic support.
It’s a manual for India’s next big leap — where grassroots talent meets systemic support.
Because it speaks not just to founders, but to teachers, administrators, local investors, and policy-makers.
And because it shows that the path to Startup India doesn't run only through metros — it runs through schools, colleges, bus depots, farms, and district offices.
“If we can build it in Mehsana, we can build it anywhere.”
