As we celebrate Entrepreneur’s Day today, we talk to those who’ve led teams and worked tirelessly to fulfill their dreams. They explain the wishes and hopes they have as entrepreneurs, and their perspectives on starting up and getting things done, despite the immense challenges on the path to reach their goals.
Harshvardhan Chauhan, Founder & CEO, Mountaintribe Foods Pvt Ltd
Entrepreneurship, to me, has never been about simply building a business. It has been about having the courage to believe in an idea before there is any proof that it will work. When I started my journey, I didn’t have all the answers. What I had was a problem I wanted to solve, a strong belief in what we could build, and the willingness to keep going even when things didn’t go according to plan. Building Tribe Kombucha has been exactly that, a journey of constant learning, unlearning, and adapting.
On World Entrepreneurship Day, I would encourage every aspiring entrepreneur to start before they feel ready. You may not have everything figured out, and you don’t need to. Sometimes, the willingness to take the first step is where the entire journey begins.
Shafi Shoukath, Founder & Chairman, WOI.eco
A country cannot be built by governments alone; it is built by entrepreneurs who turn ideas into enterprises, enterprises into jobs, and challenges into opportunities. Entrepreneurship creates wealth, drives innovation, empowers communities and gives a nation the confidence to shape its own future. If we want to build a stronger, more self-reliant and globally competitive country, we must build an environment where entrepreneurs are encouraged to dream, supported to build and empowered to scale. The real development of a nation begins when its people become creators, not merely consumers.
Deval Delivala, Founder & CEO, WalkAbout
World Entrepreneurship Day is a reminder that entrepreneurship has no age limit; at our WalkAbout accelerator for founders over 50, I watch retired professionals pitch businesses with the clarity of a lifetime of experience. From the government, my wish is to back entrepreneurs building the missing infrastructure for India’s demographic shift, the third spaces for older adults, prevention, and caregiving.From customers, my ask is simple: support the entrepreneur next door. Buy local, refer a friend, leave a review. Small acts tell a founder to keep going.
Sourabh Kumar, Founder Of Ecopath
Entrepreneurship begins when you stop asking why a problem exists and start asking how you can solve it. It is the courage to take risks, act on conviction and build what you believe should exist. Complaining changes very little; entrepreneurs choose to create the change.
Anant Goel, Founder and CEO Of Handpickd
On World Entrepreneurship Day, as an entrepreneur in the time-conscious commerce space, my ultimate aspiration is to redefine how society measures freshness ~ Not by shelf life or artificial longevity, but by the elapsed time between source and table.
While the food industry excels at extending longevity, at Handpickd we believe peak quality depends on shortening the supply chain so that every extra day spent in transit is justified.
To build a truly sustainable future for fresh produce, spices, ghee and other cooking essentials, we need our government policy to champion and encourage a fresh-first infrastructure, while consumers demand to shift toward asking when their food was prepared, not just how long it can sit on a shelf.
Deepak Sahni, Founder of Healthians & UN:BLOC
Entrepreneurship Day for me is less about celebration and more about reflection on how far we’ve come and how much still needs to be built. India has never had a shortage of ideas or ambition, and what excites me today is that the ecosystem to back those ideas is finally catching up. The government has made remarkable strides in simplifying the journey for founders, and I believe the next decade belongs to Indian entrepreneurship like never before. My one ask, to fellow investors, is simple- back more first-time founders. The next transformative idea isn’t waiting for the perfect pitch deck. It’s waiting for one person to believe in it.
Tarun Joshi, Founder & CEO of IGP
Entrepreneurship, to me, is about seeing an opportunity where others see a problem, and having the ability to build something meaningful around it. It takes the willingness to take risks, learn continuously, adapt to change and stay dedicated through the challenges that come along.
India’s entrepreneurial ecosystem has evolved remarkably, driven by greater innovation, a growing appetite for homegrown businesses and an enabling policy environment. As we look ahead, I hope this momentum continues, creating the right conditions for entrepreneurs to innovate with ambition, build at scale and create meaningful employment and economic value.
Ultimately, the most rewarding part of building a business is seeing an idea grow beyond a concept into something that becomes a part of people’s lives. That journey, from identifying a need to creating something that genuinely adds value, is what makes entrepreneurship worth pursuing.
CA Manish Mishra, Co-Founder & CEO, GenZCFO
For me, entrepreneurship is about taking an idea, believing in yourself, and staying with it even when things do not go as planned. I would like to see greater ease for entrepreneurs when it comes to regulations, access to capital, and receiving the right support at the right stage of the journey. Customers and other stakeholders also have an important role to play by giving new businesses a fair chance and helping them grow. At the end of the day, building a business is a long game, and a stronger ecosystem can make that journey more rewarding. Problem-solving skills and a never-give-up attitude are the essential ingredients. With passion, persistence and patience — the three Ps — success is assured.
Ankeet Dave, Co-Founder and Director, Access Life Assistance Foundation
For me, entrepreneurship is not always about building something big. It is about seeing something around you that can be better and having the courage to do something about it, even if that change starts very small. At Access Life, we have seen that one small idea can grow when you find people who believe in the same thing and are willing to work together. I believe India has tremendous potential, and if the government, communities, partners, customers and entrepreneurs work with the same intent, there is so much we can achieve — for our country and, more importantly, for our people.
