Union Minister Slams Indian Startup Culture, Gets Hit Back

For a long time, now, the union government of India has been facing criticism for not providing adequate habitat for empowering the start-up culture in the country. And on top of that union commerce minister, Piyush Goyal commented against the existing start-up culture in the country.

Piyush openly stated that instant food delivery apps are not to be considered as mainstream start-ups as all they do is make poor people deliver food to rich people. He called for more innovation and application from the Indian start-up community.

His comments drew swift backlash from several prominent startup founders. Aadit Palicha, co-founder of Zepto, defended consumer-focused startups, highlighting their role in job creation, tax contributions, and attracting foreign investment. He argued that many Chinese tech giants also began with consumer services before evolving into global powerhouses.

Ashneer Grover, former BharatPe MD, agreed on the importance of deep tech but said such transitions require time and vision from both entrepreneurs and policymakers. He emphasized the need for government to focus on long-term growth rather than immediate outcomes.

Former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai added that deep tech growth in India is hindered by limited funding and bureaucratic hurdles. He criticized past policies that failed to support startups meaningfully.

The debate highlights a broader need for a robust ecosystem combining policy support, education, and investment to nurture India’s deep tech aspirations.