A social media post on X has gone viral, stirring debate in the startup community after a user detailed the uphill battle faced by a friend trying to establish an automotive parts manufacturing unit in India. The post surfaced amid renewed calls by Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal for startups to shift focus from sectors like food delivery and gaming to deep-tech, artificial intelligence, and clean energy.
X user Aaraynsh recounted the harrowing experience of his friend’s startup journey, exposing systemic red tape and corruption. “Applied for GST, rejected twice for useless reasons. Went for land clearance, had to feed people at the development authority,” the post read. The user claimed that multiple departments, including the pollution board and licensing authorities, demanded bribes or subjected applicants to unreasonable delays. “Nothing’s online. You have to run around constantly,” he added.
The post came in response to Goyal’s recent comments at the Startup Maha Kumbh, where he questioned the ecosystem’s overemphasis on consumer-centric ventures. “Do we have to make ice cream or chips? Dukaandari hi karna hai?” Goyal asked, expressing disappointment that India has only about 1,000 deep-tech startups compared to China’s substantial focus on EVs, semiconductors, and AI.
Criticizing the gap between vision and ground reality, Aaraynsh wrote, “Meanwhile, Piyush Goyal talks about competing with China, while the government itself can’t manage a basic EPFO website.” He concluded with a stark observation: “The real enemies of this country are corrupt bureaucrats and politicians.”
The post has since sparked wide engagement online and intensified a broader debate within India’s entrepreneurial and investor circles. While some like Zepto co-founder Aadit Palicha defended India’s consumer-focused startup boom as job-creating and impactful, others resonated with Goyal’s call for more ambitious, innovation-driven ventures.
RPG Group’s Harsh Goenka chimed in to support Goyal’s intent, stating, “They weren’t being literal—they were being directional… We need to build with ambition—AI, deep tech, robotics, clean energy.”
The incident has renewed calls for easing compliance processes and strengthening digital governance if India is to truly rival global innovation powerhouses.