Food delivery apps turning unemployed youth into delivery agents for the rich, says minister Piyush Goyal

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal

Indian startups came under sharp scrutiny as Union Minister Piyush Goyal questioned whether the country was settling for low-paying gig jobs while China raced ahead in deep-tech innovation.

“Should we aspire to be, or are we going to be happy being delivery boys and girls?” Goyal asked at Startup Mahakumbh 2025 in New Delhi on April 3, pointing to a slide comparing India’s startup ecosystem with China’s.

Goyal highlighted the stark contrast between the two countries, arguing that India’s startup space was too focused on food delivery and gig work.

“What are India startups of today—we are focussed on food delivery apps, turning unemployed youth into cheap labour so the rich can get their meals without moving out of their house,” he said.

“Against that, what do Chinese startups do—work on developing electric mobility, battery technology, and with that they are today dominating the electric mobility ecosystem.”

While acknowledging India’s position as the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem, Goyal stressed that scale alone wasn’t enough. “We are very proud of what India has done but are we the best in the world as yet? Not yet.”

He pointed to the lack of deep-tech startups in India as a major concern. “Only 1,000 startups in India's deep-tech space is a disturbing situation,” he remarked, adding that the country needs to focus on innovation beyond e-commerce and services.

“Dukaandari ka hi kaam karna hai ya one of scale, to make a mark in the world?” he questioned, urging entrepreneurs to think beyond short-term business models and work toward global technological leadership.