Biocon founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw has called on Indian startups to push the boundaries of innovation after sharing a video of a drone cleaning building windows in Bengaluru.

The veteran entrepreneur took to X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday and posted a clip demonstrating a drone equipped for window washing, along with potential applications for cleaning roads and pavements. In her post, she urged the startup ecosystem to step up.

“This is what drones in Bangalore can do – wash windows, roads, pavements n more! Come on start ups. Where’s your innovation?”

The video highlights the growing practical use of drones in urban environments, showcasing how unmanned aerial technology can tackle everyday maintenance tasks more efficiently and safely. By spotlighting this emerging application, Mazumdar-Shaw is challenging India’s startups to develop bolder, homegrown solutions that address real-world problems.

‘They are busy building startups that can monetixe slaver’: Netizens sharp dig at Shaw’s post

The post drew a wide range of reactions from X users. Some users took Mazumdar‑Shaw’s post as a critique of the broader startup ecosystem’s priorities. “They are busy building startups that can monetize slavery,” a user wrote, suggesting that many ventures focus on monetisation rather than meaningful social impact.

Practical constraints and resource questions also featured in the discussion. “I agree Kiran, but where do we get so much water,” another user commented, pointing to logistical limits for water‑based cleaning at scale in Indian cities. Others raised issues around battery life, payload capacity, regulatory clearances and safety when deploying drones near populated areas.

Some raised labour‑market concerns, warning that automation could displace poor daily wage workers. “This will directly impact the jobs of poor, daily wage earners. Sad,” one user wrote, reflecting worries about social consequences when automation replaces manual labour.

Others highlighted creative uses and municipal‑management potential. One user with the handle name Debasis outlined several alternative applications: CCTV‑style health monitoring, post‑rain damage assessment, detection of billboard violations, monitoring footpath encroachments, identifying illegal trash disposal, tracking construction waste dumping and even issuing automated challans for illegally parked vehicles. These responses framed drones as tools for enforcement and urban governance rather than only private commercial services.

Practical challenges noted by users

Practical constraints and resource questions also featured in the discussion. “I agree Kiran, but where do we get so much water,” one user replied, pointing to logistical limits for water‑based cleaning at scale in Indian cities. Others raised issues around battery life, payload capacity, regulatory clearances and safety when deploying drones near populated areas.

Some commentators took Mazumdar‑Shaw’s post as a critique of the broader startup ecosystem’s priorities. “They are busy building startups that can monetize slavery…” one harsh critic wrote, suggesting that many ventures focus on monetisation rather than meaningful social impact. The exchange underscores a recurring theme in India’s innovation discourse: the tension between rapid commercialisation and solving systemic urban or social problems.

Technology, policy and adoption

The debate illustrates how an apparently simple demonstration can surface deeper questions about technology adoption in India: the balance between efficiency gains and employment impacts, the readiness of municipal systems to integrate drone‑based services, and the regulatory framework governing drone operations.

India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and related authorities have been updating drone rules and enabling frameworks, but on‑ground deployment still requires navigating permissions, safety norms and local governance buy‑in.

Mazumdar‑Shaw’s public nudge may push entrepreneurs to think more ambitiously about end‑to‑end solutions that combine hardware, software, service delivery and social safeguards. Successful scaling will likely require addressing practical constraints (water supply, charging, maintenance), complying with safety and privacy rules and building business models that either upskill existing workers or create alternative livelihoods to offset job displacement risks.