New Delhi: Aman Gupta the co-founder of boAt and a popular face from Shark Tank India, recently spoke up in support of Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal after a heated discussion broke out in the startup world, the buzz started when after Goyal’s speech at the Startup Mahakumbh event, where some entrepreneurs felt his words were a bit harsh. But Aman took a more balanced view and asked everyone to see the message as a push towards bigger goals and stronger teamwork.
In a recent Instagram post, Aman shared his thoughts about the minister’s speech. “It’s not every day that someone from the government tells founders to dream bigger,” he wrote. “But at Startup Mahakumbh, that’s exactly what happened. I was there. I heard the full speech. Hon. Minister @piyushgoyalofficial Ji isn’t against founders. He believes in us.”
Aman explained that Goyal’s main point was simple, yes, India has done really well and is now the third-biggest startup hub in the world. But if we want to lead globally, we need to raise the bar even higher.
He compared this idea to what happens on Shark Tank India. Just like sharks push founders to think bigger and better, Goyal was doing the same. Aman also said Indian startups need to focus more on future tech like artificial intelligence (AI), deep tech, climate tech, mobility, and infrastructure. “If we want to be No. 1,” he said, “we need things like LLMs (large language models) and tech that matches global standards.”
Aman also talked about what’s needed to take India’s startup scene to the next level. He said we need to take smart risks, have more long-term funding (patient capital), work closely with the government, and have a strong national vision. He ended his post with a powerful line in Hindi: “Kyunki jab sapne bade hote hain, toh kadam bhi bade uthane padte hain” (When dreams are big, the steps must also be big). He believes that while we’ve achieved a lot, there’s so much more we can build.
The discussion around Goyal’s comments also saw others speaking up, Anupam Mittal, founder of Shaadi.com and fellow Shark Tank judge, also shared his views online. He praised Indian founders working in cutting-edge areas like AI, space tech, and materials science, but pointed out the challenges they face, especially when it comes to funding and building the right support system. According to him, founders can do a lot on their own, but they need help to truly scale and grow.
This whole conversation shows how India’s startup scene is changing and how important it is for the government and entrepreneurs to work together.
