"Are we Happy creating delivery Boys and Girls?"
Piyush Goyal just called out Indian startups for ‘lacking innovation’ and exploiting cheap labor at Startup Mahakumbh 2025— but let’s flip the script.
Quick commerce has its place—it’s created jobs and brought convenience to millions. But Goyal’s point is that we can’t stop there.
Delivering groceries fast is great, but what about solving global challenges like climate change, healthcare access, or education gaps?
The government’s Startup India initiative has been around since 2016, but deeptech funding in India lags far behind China and Israel. Where are the subsidies for R&D?
Startups aren’t charities—they need a nurturing ecosystem to take risks. Quick commerce, for all its flaws, employs thousands (think gig workers) who’d otherwise be the government’s burden.
Goyal’s vision for scaling startup competition prize pools to INR 500 Cr is a step in the right direction. It’s a signal to all of us—founders, investors, and policymakers—to prioritise high-impact ideas that can go beyond borders.
I believe India’s startup ecosystem has the talent and potential to lead in Deeptech, sustainability, and more.
What do you guys think?
