Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal’s comment on India’s startup ecosystem whereas talking on the Startup Mahakumbh 2025 in New Delhi has sparked an argument. “Should we aspire to be, or are we going to be happy being delivery boys and girls?” he stated whereas evaluating the startup landscapes between India and China. His remarks prompted entrepreneurs throughout India to share different reactions, together with the newest one from Zepto CEO Aadit Palicha. In an X put up, he claimed that his firm, which he additionally co-founded, has created nearly 1.5 Lakh jobs and generated practically “ ₹1,000+ Crores of tax contribution to the government per year.”
Zepto CEO Aadit Palicha’s put up on Indian startups got here after Piyush Goyal’s remarks on the Startup Mahakumbh 2025. (File Photograph)
“It is easy to criticise consumer internet startups in India, especially when you compare them to the deep technical excellence being built in US/China. Using our example, the reality is this: there are almost 1.5 Lakh real people who are earning livelihoods on Zepto today – a company that did not exist 3.5 years ago. ₹1,000+ Crores of tax contribution to the government per year, over a billion dollars of FDI brought into the country and hundreds of crores invested in organising India’s backend supply chains (especially for fresh fruits and vegetables),” Aadit Palicha wrote within the first few strains of his X put up. He added that if this progress “isn’t a miracle in Indian innovation” then he doesn’t know what’s.
He then requested, “Why doesn’t India have its own large-scale foundational AI model? It’s because we still haven’t built great internet companies.” He referenced corporations like Amazon, Fb, Google, and Alibaba, including that each one these “big players in AI” began as “consumer internet companies.”
“Consumer internet companies drive this innovation because they have the best data, talent, and capital to put behind it,” he continued.
“The startup ecosystem, the government, and the owners of large pools of Indian capital need to actively support the creation of these local champions, not pull down the teams that are trying hard to get there,” he added.
Palicha confessed that Zepto is just not but a “great Internet company,” however it’s attempting exhausting to change into one. He added that he’s dedicating the subsequent few a long time of his life to creating “dynamism within the Indian financial system.” He concluded his put up by saying that India has each expertise and capital, nevertheless it wants “execution.”
Check out your entire put up right here: Piyush Goyal at Startup Mahakumbh:
Throughout his speech at Startup Mahakumbh, the union minister highlighted the challenges throughout the startup sector. He stated that many Indian startups are centered on meals supply apps and hyperfast logistics, as an alternative of different sectors.
“What are India’s startups of today? We are focused on food delivery apps, turning unemployed youth into cheap labour so the rich can get their meals without moving out of their house,” he stated. The minister added, “We are very proud of what India has done, but are we the best in the world as yet? Not yet.”
What are your ideas on Aadit Palicha’s response?