'India ranks 63rd in ease of doing business...we know where the problem is': Bhatnagar as Goyal compares Indian startups with China

Investment firm ajvc founder Aviral Bhatnagar has joined other tech leaders in defending India’s consumer internet startups, responding to recent remarks by Union Minister Piyush Goyal that questioned whether the country is focusing too heavily on ventures like food delivery and fantasy sports apps instead of emerging deep-tech fields.

Speaking at the second Startup Mahakumbh, Goyal compared India’s startup culture to that of China, which he said is investing heavily in electric vehicles, battery technology and AI.

He urged local startups to “re-evaluate their purpose and true value” and to “think big” and “go global,” noting there are only about 1,000 deeptech startups in India—a figure he called “a disturbing sign.”

"We must learn (from other countries). We must be willing to evolve, we have to be able to learn, we want to aspire to be bigger and better and bolder. And we should not shy of the competition," the minister said. 

"Dukaandari hi karna hai (Do we want to just sell things)?" he asked.

Aviral Bhatnagar's response

In a post on LinkedIn, Bhatnagar noted that India ranks third globally in the number of startups and unicorns, and first in digital payments volume—yet remains 63rd in the World Bank’s ease of doing business rankings.

“We know where the problem is,” he wrote, suggesting that cumbersome regulations, not a lack of ambition or innovation, hinder the growth of truly disruptive startups.

Goyal announces dedicated helpline for startups

Following the heated reaction of some startup founders over his remarks, Minister Piyush Goyal announced that the Indian government is launching a dedicated helpline for Indian startups. He said the helpline would be accessible to all startups through a simple four-digit toll-free number in regional languages, allowing them to register complaints or provide feedback on policies.

"Whenever any officer troubles you (startups) or if you want to make any suggestion regarding any changes in the laws or if you want to flag any product or technology which may not fall under the current legal boundaries of India, you will be able to reach out to that helpline," said Goyal.