In New Delhi, Union Minister Piyush Goyal’s remark labeling many Indian startups as mere “dukaandars” has sparked intense debate. Startup founders, tech leaders, and citizens voiced their take on whether India’s startup ecosystem should focus on consumer delivery apps or pivot to deep tech innovation. Zepto's Aadit Palicha, Ashneer Grover, and others have weighed in. While some support Goyal’s vision of India as a tech leader, others argue that consumer platforms also drive growth and jobs. Oneindia News captures diverse opinions from India’s capital.
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NewsTranscript
00:00There are so many youths who are going to delivery boys or call centres.
00:05It's not like Indians don't have the skill set.
00:07If that was the case, Sundar Pichai wouldn't be the CEO of Google.
00:10There is no guidance available when it comes to hardware things.
00:13In India, we only make biscuits and ice-creams in the name of start-ups.
00:17It's not like we only make biscuits or ice-creams.
00:20It's easy to become delivery boys and girls, so we shift to that.
00:23So Union Minister Piyush Goyal said that the girls and boys of India
00:28will only work as delivery boys and girls.
00:30Secondly, he said that India's start-ups
00:33are comparatively lower than China and America's start-ups
00:36because China and America are making electric vehicles and semiconductors
00:40while we Indians are making ice-cream and biscuits.
00:44What do you have to say on this?
00:46I will say that what the Union Minister said is not wrong
00:50because if we take the example of America
00:55For example, if we look at Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts
00:59they have also become old brands
01:01but how did they start?
01:03They also started by selling coffee or making donuts.
01:06We can say that the start-up scene in India
01:09has started in the last 3-5 years.
01:12But this term is a very old term.
01:16And I believe that if it is seen as an opportunity
01:20and not as if the Union Minister said it, then it is very demotivating.
01:23I agree that most of our youth are going to delivery boys
01:28or call centers because
01:31we are seeing a lacking skill set in the education system
01:38and it is not meeting the market requirements.
01:41If the people of the market or the normal companies
01:48try to provide awareness to their employees
01:53that this is a skill set that you need
01:56and this is a skill set that you want to do
01:58and if you want to do, you can do that.
02:00Just like a new education policy has come in today's time.
02:03This is so that the skill set can improve.
02:05So I will say that what Bhiyush Goyal said was right
02:10but if we look at it as an opportunity and not as a negative
02:14then we can grow better
02:16and we can also do wonders in the terms of startups and also in the business.
02:20On this, the first question you asked about delivery
02:23so what I would like to suggest is that
02:25it is not that delivery boys are not leading a very good life or something
02:30everyone has their own helplessness
02:32and they are doing their job according to their skill set.
02:35And if you look at it technically,
02:37startups in India or privatization have gone on a rush now
02:43which was the previous mindset.
02:48So if there is a better opportunity here
02:51so why would people want to go outside India?
02:53It is not that there is a lack of skill set in Indians.
02:55If this was the case, Sundar Pichai would not have been the CEO of Google.
02:58So it's not about that.
03:00It is that the opportunities here are comparatively less
03:03and for people who are delivery boys
03:05of course they are doing a commendable job.
03:07Their job and lifestyle is more difficult than ours.
03:11In our corporate, we work in these rooms.
03:15Of course, everyone's work pressure is different.
03:17But the work they are doing is delivering in the sun.
03:20So it shouldn't be looked upon as a niche level job.
03:24It is something that should be appreciated that they are doing it.
03:27And for the skill set that they are carrying
03:29they are trying to perform their best in it.
03:31Similar to what we can do.
03:33If we get the job according to our skill set
03:38then we perform better in it.
03:40So first I would like to say that.
03:42And second, you asked about EVs and semiconductors and all of that.
03:47The first thing is that most of the startups
03:49who don't want to invest in India
03:51and they bring it from Dubai or Singapore
03:53because they get less taxation there.
03:55I am not pretty much aware about it.
04:00But I have heard from different clients
04:02that the issue of taxation is very less there.
04:05The second thing is that as I mentioned
04:08they don't have the resources.
04:10So their skill set doesn't develop that much here.
04:13The mindset is not that good here.
04:15On the other hand, it's not like there are no innovations here.
04:18If I talk about Piyush Bansal.
04:22He solved a generic problem.
04:24By building a lens card.
04:26He solved everything that he could provide door to door.
04:30If I talk about Boat for example.
04:33He also solved a generic problem.
04:35Earlier we used to manufacture headsets from China.
04:37He started something like that in India.
04:39So it's not like the mindset has not developed in India.
04:42The government is also bringing events for the entrepreneurs.
04:48For example, this is the event.
04:50Startup Mahakumar.
04:51So there are a lot of good businesses here.
04:54They are making good investments.
04:57So I think more or less
04:59because it started suddenly
05:01so it won't boom suddenly.
05:02It will take time.
05:03But eventually I think India
05:05in the upcoming years
05:07it would produce something beneficial like that.
05:09I think the problem behind it is
05:12the delivery boy and girls problem is due to unemployment.
05:15Because there is so much unemployment here.
05:17The boys and girls don't get work.
05:19So it's easy to become delivery boys and girls.
05:21So they shift to that.
05:23If we talk about startups.
05:25In India, there are so many innovative startups developing.
05:29You can't say that only in the US and China EVs are being made.
05:32India is also manufacturing something innovative.
05:34And it's being manufactured better than them.
05:36And I think startups are on a booming stage.
05:38So startups are a very good option for young boys and girls.
05:42So that will not be the case.
05:44Fortunately, Indian boys and girls will get employment.
05:48And if not a job, else a startup.
05:52See, I wouldn't completely disagree
05:56that EVs are being made outside.
05:58Things like deep-seek are being made.
06:00But it's not that only ice-creams and biscuits are being made in India.
06:03So if you go inside, there are very good robotics startups that we have.
06:08Very good software platforms that we have.
06:10AI startups.
06:12But yes, compared to them,
06:14China and USA, we are little behind.
06:16And the reason behind that is that
06:18there is no guidance available here when it comes to hardware things.
06:21Bangalore is the soft capital of the world.
06:24Everyone knows that.
06:25There are a lot of software engineers.
06:27There is no hardware expertise.
06:28China is much ahead of us in that.
06:30Everyone knows that all the hardware parts are manufactured there.
06:33So there is expertise there.
06:35So what I have seen, I was also an engineering student.
06:38I also made a lot of hardware projects.
06:40But they were left on the breadboard.
06:42There was no guidance available to make it a proper end-to-end market-ready product.
06:47And then that thing was left there.
06:49So we need more guidance.
06:50And coming to the delivery boys and all.
06:53See, I think employment is being generated.
06:55These people are making good money.
06:57So we shouldn't say that they will just keep delivering.
07:00It's a good opportunity for them.
07:02And it's better than what they were doing before.
07:05And even in my startup, I have come in contact with some delivery boys
07:10who want to come into white-collar jobs.
07:13I am training them for customer support.
07:15They can speak better.
07:16They can do sales.
07:17So even in my startup, they are coming.
07:19So things are happening.
07:21Things are changing.
07:22It's not like we are just making biscuits or ice cream.
07:25That's not true.
07:26You can check out here.
07:27It's not like that in my opinion.
07:29I agree with him somewhat.
07:30But I also agree that due to government restrictions and many policies,
07:33startups are not getting much growth in India.
07:36Due to many tax regimes and all.
07:38Because my mom works in the finance sector.
07:42She knows and she complains about it.
07:44About the Indian tax regime and sector.
07:46And for that, India, obviously, Piyush Goyal sir
07:49needs to be careful about this.
07:51So that startups like this grow in India.
07:54I think, in a way, he is very right in saying that
07:57we are wasting India's resources.
08:00So we can better utilize those resources in manufacturing
08:03EVs and more of AI-driven technology.
08:08So India needs to think beyond hyper-deliveries
08:13and health-based food items.
08:16So I think he is very right.
08:18So we need a reality check.
08:20We need to think beyond things.
08:22So I think it's a great idea for the new India.
08:26I don't think so.
08:28Because, first of all, the delivery thing
08:33started recently after COVID in India.
08:35But it was from a long time there in the US and China.
08:38And so the other thing which he said about EVs.
08:42So if we are copying something or if we are taking some good stuff from others,
08:45then we are criticized.
08:46That we are just wasting our efforts and resources on that.
08:50So I think that's wrong.
08:52It is making people slow, I'll say.
08:55It's easy now to get stuff delivered to you.
09:00The concept of fast is not really good, which I support.
09:03But getting things delivered to your home,
09:07saving your time if you are using that time on something productive,
09:10then that's really good.
09:11I think that's not a big problem.
09:13And it is also creating income for the delivery partners.
09:18They are also finding other ways of getting income.
09:22On the other hand, talking about the EVs,
09:25also, as you are seeing, every car manufacturer company
09:28has now an EV of their own brand.
09:31And the government of India also has.
09:33I don't know exactly, but they need to have an EV model in their segments
09:39by 2030, I guess.
09:41It is something like that.
09:42I'm not with the exact figure.
09:44So I think, yeah, so the Indian companies are doing that as well.
09:47Right now, we are taking the batteries,
09:50like Tata is taking batteries,
09:52and Mahindra is taking batteries from China.
09:54But we are also in that,
09:56and we are doing a lot of stuff in battery manufacturing as well.
10:00So I think it's good.
10:02We are on that line.
10:03And it's not that we are behind,
10:05and we are not doing the right stuff.
10:07We are completely on the right path on that.
10:09I think Piyush Goyal's comments show reality.
10:15I heard his comments.
10:17In India, we are focusing more on vegan food,
10:21or ice cream, as he said,
10:23or niche products in short.
10:25Generally speaking, broadly speaking,
10:27we are focusing more on niche products.
10:29Whereas we should focus on technological developments,
10:32research and development,
10:34like semiconductors, the newest technologies,
10:37which are essential for crucial things that we use daily,
10:42like mobile phones, laptops, PCs,
10:44everything.
10:45So we need more technological advancements,
10:49more education,
10:52more research-driven education.
10:54And the delivery boy thing you said,
10:57automation, like China, US,
11:00the advanced economies are working on automation rapidly.
11:03But as of we,
11:06in the name of creating jobs,
11:08we are creating low-level jobs,
11:10which are not contributing to our economy at all,
11:14and are wasting human resources,
11:16which can be used efficiently in different areas of the economy.
11:23So I believe,
11:25what Piyush Goyal has said,
11:27is right and wrong at the same time.
11:31I think we should support the Indian ecosystems as well,
11:34like Zomato, Blinkit,
11:36the companies which are providing the 10-minute groceries,
11:38also helpful.
11:39But alongside it,
11:40we should also support the tech EV giants,
11:43like Ola is coming,
11:44and we should support that.
11:46Being a part of NIT Jalandhar,
11:48and I am also a part of India AI Mission,
11:51so my focus is the government should promote more research areas,
11:54and should provide support to the people of India,
11:57like some special startup incubators,
12:00like Startup Mahakubin is there.
12:02So it is a very good initiative,
12:03I think, in which many new startups are coming.
12:05And it will give rise to all the niche domains,
12:07like not only food delivery will be promoted,
12:10startups like camera ecosystem,
12:13then we can say ice creams,
12:15semiconductors,
12:16EV giants will also be coming up,
12:18and more and more people will be inspired.
12:20So seeing this event,
12:21I was also very much amazed,
12:23as it was a beautiful platform for all the investors,
12:27all the students,
12:28all the old officials.
12:30So I think more and more events like this should be coming up,
12:34and talking about like the competitors China and America,
12:37I think one problem is there like in these countries,
12:41basically the students get the information in schools,
12:44only that we have to focus on curricular activities as well,
12:47apart from studies.
12:48But I think in India,
12:49people only focus on studies and getting more marks.
12:51So I think it should also be supported by the teachers of India,
12:54that on niche level in schools like 5th to 10th class,
12:57the students should be promoted to do all the domains,
13:01not only a single domain like medical or engineering,
13:03but all the niche domains.
13:05So this is all about me.