“Surname doesn’t matter in today’s India”: PM Modi reaffirms providing right business environment for startups

Referring to Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal’s off-the-cuff remarks on his father not expecting him to do well as a startup entrepreneur, particularly because they did not come from a well-established family, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that what matters in India is hard work and not one’s surname.

“In today’s India, one’s surname doesn’t matter. What matters is hard work. Your journey is truly inspiring, Deepinder Goyal! It motivates countless youngsters to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams. We are committed to providing the right environment for the startups to flourish,” PM Modi wrote on X, sharing a video clip posted by Union Minister Hardeep Puri.

In the video clip, Zomato’s Deepinder Goyal could be heard saying when he started Zomato in 2008, his father used to say at that time that “tu janta hai tera baap kaun hai”. He added that his father thought he would never be able to pull off a start-up given their “humble background”.

“I come from a small town in Punjab. But over the last 16 years, I think a lot has changed, especially over the past 7-10 years,” he said while praising the central government initiatives.

On Monday evening, Union Minister and BJP leader Hardeep Singh Puri hosted a ‘Vishesh Sampark Abhiyan’ event at his Delhi residence, where various business captains came and shared their experiences.

The event brought together leading IT professionals, innovators, startup leaders, and intellectuals to discuss the country’s digital transformation and future potential under Modi.

Sunil Vachhani, Chairman, of Dixon Technologies, at the event, shared how his company a decade ago used to import almost 100 per cent of its mobile phones and electronics and how it is now making almost all of them here. With the policies of the current government, he said they will very soon export mobile phones worth USD 100 billion.

To Vachhani’s experience, PM Modi said on X, “I completely agree with you on this. The transformation in India’s mobile phone and electronics industry is truly remarkable. It is a testament to India’s potential and the proactive steps taken in the last few years to realise it.”

As high as 99 per cent of mobiles sold in India currently are Made in India products.

Nitin Jain, Founder, Ofbusiness, praising the central government said, it has set up a large space to play and perform. “Every SME, every contractor and every small business is benefiting from the Digital India programme of PM Modi.”

Rohan Verma, CEO, of Map My India, noted at the event that the government has unlocked the tremendous opportunity in space and geospatial over the last 4 years.

He asserted how difficult it was to work earlier as the geospatial sector was restricted. “But when we reached out to Niti Aayog, they got the policies amended, enabling us to serve the country and make us atmanirbhar.”

“India’s recent strides in the space sector have been appreciated by the entire world. Our Government has and will continue to make every possible effort to transform the crucial space and geospatial sectors,” PM Modi wrote on X, applauding Map my India’s work.

Abhiraj Singh Bhal, founder of Urban Company, highlighted the dynamic progress witnessed over the past decade. He emphasized the importance of continued infrastructure development and reforms.

He said, “There is an energy and zeal in the last 10 years we have seen which will only unlock India’s potential in the coming 10 years. So the next 5 years my humble submission would be, the government is on a fast track mission of infrastructure development and reforms that should continue and I am sure India’s potential will be unlocked.”

Varun Alagh, Founder, of Mamaearth, also spoke at the event.

“We are from middle-class backgrounds and started our company in 2016 from scratch and today we employ more than 10000 people. It couldn’t have been possible but for the ecosystem provided by the Modi government. In the next 5 years, the focus has to be on creating good jobs, producing quality and focus on research,” Alagh said.

Appreciating Mamaeasrth’s work, PM Modi wished greater success in the future.

“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,” PM Modi wrote.