'Surname doesn’t matter in today's India, your journey is inspiring’: PM Modi to Zomato's Deepinder Goyal

Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal was speaking at Vishesh Sampark Abhiyan hosted by Hardeep Singh Puri

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 22 said the government is committed to providing all the support required by startups for them to flourish and the country has witnessed progress as "surname does not matter in today's India".

Modi was responding to Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri’s post on X platform, in which Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal was explaining how his father had doubts about his firm’s chances of success.

Also read: What Deepinder Goyal's father said when he told him about his startup idea: 'Janta hai tera baap...'

“In today’s India, one’s surname doesn’t matter. What matters is hard work. Your journey is truly inspiring, @deepigoyal! It motivates countless youngsters to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams. We are committed to providing the right environment for the startups to flourish,” Modi said in a post on X.

Also read: Unicorn founders, tech chiefs lend soft endorsement to Modi 3.0 at Lutyens' Delhi

During an event organised by Puri, in an effort to reach out to tech honchos and IT professionals amid Lok Sabha elections, the Zomato boss recalled how his father believed they were from a small town and difficult for someone with that background to begin a startup.

In today’s India, one’s surname doesn’t matter. What matters is hardwork. Your journey is truly inspiring, @deepigoyal! It motivates countless youngsters to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams. We are committed to providing the right environment for the startups to flourish. https://t.co/E9ccqYyVzv

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 22, 2024

“I started Zomato 16 years ago, in 2008. And, my dad at that time told me ‘Janta hai tera baap kaun hai (Do you know who your father is)?’ And, his point was, ‘You can’t do a startup’. I come from a small town in Punjab, that’s the background,” the CEO said at the Vishesh Sampark Abhiyan.

Also read: India to be $1 trn digital economy by FY28, says IT minister

“But, over the last 16 years, a lot has changed. Especially over the last seven, eight, ten years as well,” Goyal added about the startup climate in India and also thanked the government for bringing about the change.

Zomato is a restaurant aggregator and food delivery company started in 2008, when the Congress-led UPA government was in power at the Centre.

The event was organised at Puri’s residence on May 20 and IT minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar along with other startup CEOs such as Abhiraj Singh Bhal, founder of Urban Company, Rajan Anandan, Managing Director of Peak XV Partners, Pankaj Mohindroo, chairman of the Indian Cellular Association, Rohan Verma, CEO of Map My India, and Gaurav Chaudhary, popularly known as Technical Guruji, were also present.

Also read: Zomato seeks shareholder approval for ESOP plan of 18.2 cr shares worth over Rs 3,500 cr

Varun Alagh, founder of Mamaearth, also appreciated the work done by the Central government in promoting startups. “We are from middle class backgrounds and started our company in 2016 from scratch and today we employ more than 10,000 people.”

PM Modi congratulated Alagh for the success and said government’s policies will encourage startups and wealth creation. “Keep up the great work and continue to inspire others with your success, Varun! Ours is a Government which actively encourages StartUps and wealth creation. We are proud of the youthful energy in every part of our nation, especially the Tier-2 and 3 cities.”