Startup Mahakumbh organisers spreading Chinese propaganda against India: Mohandas Pai

Former Infosys chief financial officer (CFO) Mohandas Pai has claimed that the organisers of Startup Mahakumbh 2025 are spreading Chinese propaganda against India.

Taking place in New Delhi, the event, organised by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), has been steeped in controversies since day one. The unrest began with comments from Union commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal regarding Indian startups.

A chart titled "India vs China" sparked significant discussion and criticism as well due to the data it showcased. Sharing this chart, Pai said, “Minister @PiyushGoyal, why are the organisers pushing Chinese propaganda against India? We have more than 4,500 deep-tech startups, according to Traxn.”



He added, “They are small due to a lack of capital because funding is limited. We need support, not this.”

Controversies

During the event, Goyal urged Indian startups to move beyond instant delivery apps and focus on high-tech domains such as semiconductors, robotics, AI, and next-gen manufacturing. However, this wasn’t the source of the backlash.

He went on to say, “We are focused on food delivery apps,” adding, “turning unemployed youths into cheap labour so the rich can get their meals without moving out of their houses.”

His rhetorical question, "Are we going to be happy being delivery boys and girls?" particularly drew sharp criticism.

Zepto CEO Aadit Palicha, Shaadi.com founder and Shark Tank India judge Anupam Mittal, and Pai were among those who expressed their disapproval of Goyal’s statements.

Pai urged Goyal not to “belittle” Indian startups, emphasising that comparisons with Chinese startups are unfair.

“China invested $845 billion from 2014–2024; India only $160 billion! Why are Minister @PiyushGoyal and @AshwiniVaishnaw not helping solve these issues?” Pai questioned.

Palicha defended the startup community, pointing out that over 1.5 lakh people earn livelihoods through Zepto, which has paid over ₹1,000 crore in taxes in just three and a half years.

Mittal praised Indian deep-tech startups in AI, space tech, and material sciences but flagged a major gap in capital and growth support.

On the other hand, Ola founder Bhavish Aggarwal backed Goyal’s remarks on the state of India’s consumer startups, calling for greater focus on innovation-led entrepreneurship.