Mumbai: Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal lobbed a rhetorical grenade at India’s startup ecosystem on Thursday, questioning whether the country’s entrepreneurial energy was being squandered on “delivering ice cream” instead of building semiconductor chips.

Speaking at the Startup Maha Kumbh in New Delhi, Goyal didn’t mince words: “Are we content being delivery boys and girls? Is that India’s destiny?” he asked, contrasting Indian startups’ obsession with food delivery and fantasy sports with China’s laser focus on EVs, AI, and advanced manufacturing. His punchline? “Dukaandari hi karna hai? (Do we just want to sell things?)” The remark struck a nerve. India’s startup community, long celebrated as the world’s third-largest hub—with 100 unicorns and 1.57 lakh registered ventures—found itself in an existential squabble. Were they building the next Alibaba, or just perfecting the art of biryani delivery?

Goyal’s critique wasn’t merely about ice cream. It was a........

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