At the ‘Vishesh Sampark Abhiyan’ event hosted by Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal shared captivating insights from the early days of his food delivery and restaurant aggregator platform. Recalling his startup’s inception, Goyal mentioned his father’s initial skepticism. “My dad at that time told me, ‘Janta hai tera baap kaun hai?'” Goyal said, meaning his father doubted his ability to launch a startup. Goyal added, “I come from a small town in Punjab, that’s the background.”
Discussing India’s evolving startup ecosystem, Goyal remarked, “Over the last 16 years, a lot has changed, especially in the last 7 to 10 years. The government has really gone out of its way, and I hope that continues in good ways going forward.” Goyal founded Zomato in 2008, marking the beginning of a significant journey in India’s tech sector.
The ‘Vishesh Sampark Abhiyan’ event, held at Hardeep Singh Puri’s residence on Monday evening, gathered prominent IT professionals, innovators, startup leaders, and intellectuals to discuss India’s rapid technological progress and future prospects.
During the event, Rajan Anandan, Managing Director of Peak XV Partners, highlighted the dramatic transformation of India’s digital landscape. “Post the reforms of 2014, the number of active mobile phone data users in India has exceeded 800 million, surpassing the combined total of the US and China. This represents an extraordinary transformation of our ecosystem,” Anandan stated.
Anandan also praised the deregulation in specific strategic sectors, emphasizing the vibrancy and broad-based nature of India’s innovation ecosystem in the context of Digital India.
The event underscored the significant strides India has made in technology and innovation, reflecting the dynamic and evolving landscape that continues to foster growth and development.