From friction to flight: Unblocking India’s startup and innovation ecosystem

Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal’s recent remarks at the Startup Mahakumbh in New Delhi sparked a national debate. Urging startups to pivot from consumer-oriented ventures such as food delivery to high-impact sectors such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), and robotics, his statement drew both criticism and support. While some defended the economic value of consumer tech, others viewed it as a necessary reality check. Against this backdrop, there is an urgent need to examine systemic challenges and propose pragmatic reforms….