BoAt co-founder Aman Gupta supports Piyush Goyal’s call for startups to aim higher

Aman Gupta, co-founder of boAt, recently supported Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal’s appeal to the startups to aspire higher. The remarks of Goyal at Startup Mahakumbh in Delhi had raised controversies, with many founders believing him to be brushing aside consumer-led platforms such as food ordering applications. But to Gupta, these remarks of Goyal are visionary, appealing the startups to make their dreams grander.

Goyal asked if India should be developing “ice cream delivery apps” while China is pushing ahead in AI, EVs, and semiconductors. “Should we make ice cream or make chips?” he asked, declaring that India needs to lead the world. Gupta agreed with Goyal, stating, “India has come far, but to lead the world. we need to aim higher.”

Other founders reacted with mixed emotions. Aadit Palicha of Zepto defended consumer-facing platforms, highlighting the livelihoods they generate – 1.5 lakh individuals are earning from Zepto alone. He also mentioned that companies that are successful today like Amazon and Facebook began as consumer platforms only to later become tech behemoths.

Former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai and (link not available) founder Anupam Mittal pointed out regulatory issues that were impeding startup expansion.They requested government assistance, citing examples like the Angel Tax and Reserve Bank limitations. Conversely, previous BharatPe MD Ashneer Grover came out boldly, suggesting politicians work towards 10%+ economic growth for 20 years before criticizing job creators.

The deal is reflective of divergent attitudes towards India’s startup ecosystem. While some view consumer-facing platforms as essential, others believe India needs to focus on creating new technologies if it wants to compete globally.

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