'Indians prefer taxi mafias over apps', claims Startup founder

Startup founder Akshat Shrivastava recently slammed India's reluctance to adopt technology-driven solutions.

Startup founder says India is far away from tech supremacy

He wrote on the social media platform, X: "Tech supremacy leads to Economic supremacy. This is a basic fact. Right from Mesopotamia, Romans, Persians. And, in modern history: Spanish, UK, and now the US & China. Every empire has exhibited this trait."

"One could argue that: India has best engineering talent in the world,” he shared. “ But, we are far away from Tech supremacy. We still look at BTC, Cryptos, blockchain with derision. Forget that: we still prefer taxi mafias over apps,” he elaborated.

Akshat Shrivastava is the founder of the financial education platform Wisdom Hatch. His comments come at a time when the Goa government has taken a firm stance against allowing app-based taxi aggregator platforms to operate in the state.

Last month, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant announced that the new Goa Transport Aggregators Guidelines 2025 would not permit the entry of national players like Ola and Uber.

"Taxi operators need not be in any sort of confusion. The guidelines do not aim to open flood gates for national cab aggregators like Ola and Uber," Sawant said.

Tourists have criticised the decision, saying the local taxi network in Goa operates like a monopoly. 

Currently, Goa has two local services - Goa Miles and Goa Taxi.

However, several tourists claim that even these are blocked by local unions.

One tourist in April remarked that Goa has a "transport mafia", citing inflated rates and coercive practices.

"Here, no private taxi apps like Ola and Uber are available; you have to rely on the unions who operate on their whim," the visitor wrote, adding that he was quoted ₹1,600 for a 10 km ride.

"Forget even that: with the rise of alt science, astrology, gambling. The scientific temper has never been this low in our country. Problem is not talent. The problem is: misaligned incentives. Politicians do regressive things to win. But economy rewards progressive things & futuristic planning, which eventually leads to tech supremacy,” Shrivastava said.

Tech supremacy leads to Economic supremacy.
This is a basic fact.

Right from Mesopotamia, Romans, Persians. And, in modern history: Spanish, UK and now the US & China.

Every empire has exhibited this trait.

One could argue that: India has best engineering talent in the…

— Akshat Shrivastava (@Akshat_World) July 12, 2025

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