Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal met with a select group of prominent startup founders on April 24, 2025, in a closed-door session. This meeting, organized by the New Delhi-based Startup Policy Forum (SPF), follows Goyal’s recent remarks at the Startup Mahakumbh. At the event, he raised concerns about the true impact of consumer apps on innovation, while acknowledging their role in job creation and funding.
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal met with a select group of prominent startup founders on April 24, 2025, in a closed-door session. This meeting, organized by the New Delhi-based Startup Policy Forum (SPF), follows Goyal’s recent remarks at the Startup Mahakumbh. At the event, he raised concerns about the true impact of consumer apps on innovation, while acknowledging their role in job creation and funding.
Background of the Debate
Goyal had expressed doubts about whether startups focused on consumer apps were truly driving the kind of deep, transformative innovation needed for India’s future. He pointed to China’s emphasis on sectors like AI, semiconductors, and robotics as examples that India should emulate. His comments sparked mixed reactions. Some defended the significance of consumer tech startups in improving digital infrastructure and solving large-scale problems, while others agreed with Goyal’s view that India should prioritize core tech and global competitiveness.
Purpose of the Meeting
Against this backdrop, the upcoming meeting aims to engage directly with the startup community to discuss the ecosystem’s future. The meeting is expected to cover topics like incentivizing innovation, advancing India’s role in deeptech, and refining policies related to AI, fintech, and data privacy. There will likely also be a focus on the role of public-private collaboration in nurturing global champions from India’s startup landscape.
Prominent Attendees
The meeting featured several high-profile startup founders, including Kunal Shah (Cred), Ritesh Agarwal (Oyo), Nalin Negi (BharatPe), Vikram Chopra (Cars24), Amit Jain (CarDekho), and others. Their participation highlights the broad representation of India’s startup ecosystem.
Role of the Startup Policy Forum
The SPF, founded earlier this year by Shweta Rajpal Kohli, has quickly become an influential voice for India’s startups. Representing over 50 high-growth startups from sectors like fintech, AI, and consumer tech, the forum is driving discussions around innovation and policy reform. Recently, the SPF partnered with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology’s startup hub (MSH) to focus on deeptech and emerging technologies, and urged the government to streamline processes for shifting company structures back to India.
Background of the Debate
Goyal had expressed doubts about whether startups focused on consumer apps were truly driving the kind of deep, transformative innovation needed for India’s future. He pointed to China’s emphasis on sectors like AI, semiconductors, and robotics as examples that India should emulate. His comments sparked mixed reactions. Some defended the significance of consumer tech startups in improving digital infrastructure and solving large-scale problems, while others agreed with Goyal’s view that India should prioritize core tech and global competitiveness.
Purpose of the Meeting
Against this backdrop, the upcoming meeting aims to engage directly with the startup community to discuss the ecosystem’s future. The meeting is expected to cover topics like incentivizing innovation, advancing India’s role in deeptech, and refining policies related to AI, fintech, and data privacy. There will likely also be a focus on the role of public-private collaboration in nurturing global champions from India’s startup landscape.
Prominent Attendees
The meeting featured several high-profile startup founders, including Kunal Shah (Cred), Ritesh Agarwal (Oyo), Nalin Negi (BharatPe), Vikram Chopra (Cars24), Amit Jain (CarDekho), and others. Their participation highlights the broad representation of India’s startup ecosystem.
Role of the Startup Policy Forum
The SPF, founded earlier this year by Shweta Rajpal Kohli, has quickly become an influential voice for India’s startups. Representing over 50 high-growth startups from sectors like fintech, AI, and consumer tech, the forum is driving discussions around innovation and policy reform. Recently, the SPF partnered with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology’s startup hub (MSH) to focus on deeptech and emerging technologies, and urged the government to streamline processes for shifting company structures back to India.
Looking Ahead
With this high-level dialogue, Goyal’s meeting set the stage for further collaboration between the government and startup leaders, aiming to shape India’s future innovation landsca
