Ola founder Bhavish Aggarwal has lent his support to Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal’s recent call for Indian entrepreneurs to aim higher and build globally competitive, innovation-driven startups, urging the startup ecosystem to shift focus beyond consumer tech and lifestyle apps.
“Fully agree with Minister @PiyushGoyal’s statement. Our startup community needs to introspect as to why we’re just building consumer tech companies,” Aggarwal tweeted. “Entrepreneurs need to reflect and instead of building lifestyle apps, build innovation and future tech.”
Aggarwal’s remarks came amid a broader conversation around India’s ambition to move from being the third-largest startup ecosystem in the world to becoming a true global leader in innovation. Goyal, while speaking at Startup Mahakumbh recently, had called on entrepreneurs to aim higher and benchmark themselves against global standards, citing the need for breakthroughs in areas like Deep Tech, artificial intelligence, space, climate tech, and manufacturing innovation.
Echoing that sentiment, Aggarwal listed some examples of the kind of technologies Indian startups should focus on: “Rockets, AI drugs, EUV machines, new mineral refining tech, new materials — so much to build!”
The Ola founder’s tweet struck a chord with many in the startup community, as India continues to see the bulk of its VC funding flowing into consumer-facing platforms — from e-commerce to fintech and food delivery — while core scientific and industrial innovation often remains underfunded.
Aggarwal himself has been at the forefront of India’s deep tech ambitions through Ola Electric, which is building a large battery and electric vehicle ecosystem. His remarks also signal a growing recognition that long-term economic leadership will require building IP-rich, globally competitive technologies, not just consumer adoption at scale.
With government support growing for sectors like semiconductors, electric mobility, AI, and clean energy, entrepreneurs are being encouraged to look beyond short-term valuations and build for the long haul.
