Shark Tank India judge Aman Gupta to startups: Piyush Goyal ji isn’t against founders. He…”

Aman Gupta, co-founder and Shark Tank India judge, rallied behind Union Minister Piyush Goyal’s vision for Indian startups to lead globally in deep tech, sharing his thoughts on X after the Startup Mahakumbh event. “It’s not every day that the government asks founders to dream bigger,” Gupta posted, reflecting on Goyal’s speech at the event where he hosted a fireside chat. He emphasized that India, now the third-largest startup ecosystem with over 160,000 startups, must aim higher to claim the top spot.
Gupta highlighted Goyal’s belief in founders, noting, “Hon. Minister @PiyushGoyal Ji isn’t against founders. He believes in us.” The event at Bharat Mandapam showcased India’s startup surge, including 5,000 deep tech firms. Goyal had sparked debate by critiquing startups for focusing on “fancy ice creams, hyperfast groceries” instead of high-tech sectors like AI and robotics, questioning, “Are we going to be happy being delivery boys and girls?” Gupta, however, saw it as a call to action. “If we want to be No. 1 — We need to also go deep into AI, deeptech, climate, mobility, infra,” he wrote, urging innovation that meets global standards.
Drawing from his Shark Tank experience, Gupta added, “If you want to build a world-class product, you must know your competition. That applies to India too.” He advocated for strategic benchmarking against global leaders like China and the US, calling it a “smart strategy.” Gupta also outlined the need for “scientific risk, more patient capital, founder–policymaker collaboration and a long-term national vision” to drive progress.

His post concluded with a motivational push: “Kyunki jab sapne bade hote hain, toh kadam bhi bade uthane padte hain.” He added “So, yes, what we’ve built is incredible. But what we can build… is far greater. Let’s get to work.”
While some on X, questioned Gupta’s support for deep tech on Shark Tank, others praised his optimism.