Harsh Goenka joined the conversation around Union Minister Piyush Goyal’s comments at the recent Startup Mahakumbh. Delivering the keynote address, Goyal asked the Indian startup community to shift their focus from grocery delivery and ice cream making to high-tech sectors like semiconductors, machine learning, robotics, and artificial intelligence.
His comments stirred a debate in Desi startup circles, with several Indian entrepreneurs including prominent names like Zepto CEO Aadit Palicha and Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu voicing their opinion on the issue. In a long post on LinkedIn, Palicha wrote that the startup ecosystem, government, and owners of large pools of Indian capital need to actively support the creation of “local champions” and “not pull down the teams that are trying hard to get there”.
Why Harsh Goenka says the uproar is Wrong
Joining the debate that has kept the social media buzzing, Goenka wrote in a post on Twitter, urging Indian startups to shift focus from convenience-driven ventures to ambitious, tech-heavy sectors like AI, deep tech, robotics, and clean energy. In his post, Goenka also referenced what he hinted at similar controversy over the comments of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy and L&T Chairman S.N. Subrahmanyan. He said maybe we need a “national mindset” change as what these guys said was not to be taken in the literal sense, nor they meant it .
“When Murthy and Subrahmanyan spoke of 70-90 hour work weeks and Piyush Goyal questioned startups making vegan ice creams and chasing 10-minute deliveries, they weren’t being literal—they were being directional,” Goenka wrote. Goenka added, aligning with their broader vision for India’s global competitiveness.
The RPG Enterprises chairman stressed that India must prioritize sectors that “move the needle” to rival nations like the US and China. “This isn’t about glorifying burnout. It’s about shifting the national mindset—from ease to effort, from quick wins to long-term value,” he concluded.
Goenka’s comments echo Murthy’s October 2023 call for young Indians to work 70 hours a week to boost productivity, a statement that drew criticism for promoting burnout. Similarly, Subrahmanyan’s January 2025 viral remark advocating a 90-hour work week ignited a work-life balance debate, with actor Deepika Padukone calling it “shocking.” Meanwhile, Goyal, speaking at Startup Mahakumbh 2025, said, “Are we going to be happy being delivery boys and girls… Is that the destiny of India…this is not a startup, this is entrepreneurship… What the other side is doing — robotics, machine learning, 3D manufacturing and next generation factories.” Goyal said this while showing a slide titled “India vs China. The Startup Reality Check”.
How internet reacted to Harsh Goenka’s statement
Goenka’s post, which garnered mixed reactions, with some users agreeing with Goenka, while others highlighted systemic challenges like poor infrastructure and regulatory hurdles, underscoring the complexity of India’s startup ecosystem as it navigates global ambitions.
