Zepto CEO Aadit Palicha Claps Back at Piyush Goyal’s ‘Delivery Boys’ Dig with 1.5 Lakh Jobs Claim
A comment by Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal at Startup Mahakumbh 2025 in New Delhi has ignited a firestorm among India’s startup leaders. Addressing the crowd, Goyal asked, “Should we aspire to be, or are we going to be happy being delivery boys and girls?”—a comparison of India’s startup scene to China’s that didn’t sit well with all. Zepto CEO Aadit Palicha fired back on X, touting his company’s impact: nearly 1.5 lakh jobs created and over ₹1,000 crore in annual tax revenue, all from a startup launched just 3.5 years ago.
In his X post, Palicha wrote, “Knocking India’s consumer internet startups is easy, especially against the tech giants of the US and China. But facts matter: Zepto employs 1.5 lakh people, contributes ₹1,000+ crore in taxes yearly, and has pulled in over a billion dollars in FDI.” He also pointed to investments in India’s supply chains, particularly for fresh fruits and veggies, calling it a “miracle in Indian innovation” if anything is.
Palicha then tackled a bigger question: “Why no homegrown AI model in India? Simple—we haven’t built great internet companies yet.” He name-dropped Amazon, Facebook, Google, and Alibaba, noting these AI heavyweights began as consumer internet firms. “They thrive because they’ve got the data, talent, and cash to drive innovation,” he explained.
It is easy to criticise consumer internet startups in India, especially when you compare them to the deep technical excellence being built in US/China. Using our example, the reality is this: there are almost 1.5 Lakh real people who are earning livelihoods on Zepto today – a…
— Aadit Palicha (@aadit_palicha) April 3, 2025
He called on India’s startup ecosystem, government, and deep-pocketed investors to back local talent instead of tearing them down. While admitting Zepto isn’t a “great internet company” yet, Palicha said it’s striving to get there, with him committing decades to energizing India’s economy. “We’ve got the talent and money,” he wrapped up. “Now we need execution.”
Piyush Goyal at Startup Mahakumbh:
In his speech, Goyal critiqued the startup sector’s focus, spotlighting food delivery and ultrafast logistics. “Today’s Indian startups? Food apps turning jobless youth into cheap labor for the rich to dine in comfort,” he said. He praised India’s strides but cautioned, “We’re proud, but not yet the world’s best.