‘Pulling Down Our Start Up Businesses And Mocking Them…’ : Priyanka Chaturvedi Hits Out At Piyush Goyal Over ‘Dukaandari’ Remark On Startups | X
New Delhi: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi has taken on micro-blogging website X to hit out at union minister Piyush Goyal on his ‘“Dukaandari ka hi kaam karna hai humein?’ remark at the Startup Mahakumbh event on Thursday.
Chaturvedi said without naming Goyal, “Pulling down our start up businesses and mocking them while not doing enough to create an ecosystem that matches China level of investments and incentivising shows the arrogance of a mantri. Stand firmly with the start up industry and all that they have contributed to the economy,” the tweet read.
The post further read, “Over the past decade, China’s central and local government VC funds used tax revenues, land sale proceeds, and contributions from state-owned partners to channel $912 billion into strategic industries like AI. Once the Indian minister puts the money where his mouth is believe me India will outpace the world, forget China, by far. Till then please sit down.”
“And Minister look around you and ask why startups by Indians, whether in ideation stage, early stage or after becoming unicorn businesses choose to work in other nations and thrive there – Singapore, Dubai being the more likely places to relocate. The red tape, the bureaucratic hurdles, the challenges of not getting adequate investment all contribute to it. This public humiliation of the ones who chose to stay back and contribute by none less than a minister is saddening. Am sure even the @PMOIndia wouldn’t approve of the statement made by their minister,” she added.
What Piyush Goyal Had Said?
Speaking at the Startup Mahakumbh event, Goyal said, “We are making food/hyper delivery apps; creating cheap labour so the rich can have a meal without stepping out, while the Chinese are working on AI (artificial intelligence), EVs (electric vehicles), and semiconductors.”
“Should we make ice cream (delivery apps) or make chips (i.e., semiconductors)?” Mr Goyal reportedly asked, “Dukaandari hi karna hai,” he added.
He also highlighted that India had the largest number of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) graduates every year. “Are you proud we are creating delivery boys and girls?”
Zepto Co-founder Responds
Zepto co-founder Aadit Palicha proptly responded to the Union Minsters statement.
“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.”
He further said, “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 organizing India’s backend supply chains (especially for fresh fruits and vegetables). If that isn’t a miracle in Indian innovation, I honestly don’t know what is,” he added.
