Karnataka Minister Welcomes Zepto To 'India's Best Startup Ecosystem'

On August 7, Karnataka IT minister Priyank Kharge welcomed Zepto, a Mumbai-based quick commerce startup, to Bengaluru, bettering the city's status as India’s top destination for startups.

He also invited more startups to join Bengaluru's thriving ecosystem and highlighted the city as a millennial-friendly hub for education and employment, with a high number of funded tech startups and employable female talent.

Zepto recently decided to relocate its headquarters from Powai, Mumbai to Sarjapur, Bengaluru due to high rental costs in Mumbai.

“Unicorn quick commerce startup @ZeptoNow is moving from Mumbai to Bengaluru. This move highlights Bengaluru’s status as India’s tech capital and a leading destination for startups. I encourage more startups to join us and thrive in the best startup ecosystem in India," Kharge wrote.

"Our city is also the most millennial-friendly in India for education and employment, ranking 18th in the Asia Pacific. With over 3,600 funded tech startups and the highest number of employable female talent, Bengaluru is where innovation thrives," Kharge added.

"Bengaluru offers an exceptional startup ecosystem, with $70.1 billion raised by startups since 2010, including $15.1 billion raised this year alone. Leading in B2B funding at $34.9 billion and B2C funding at $4.9 billion. Home to 45 unicorns valued at $160.8 billion," Kharge wrote.

Unicorn quick commerce startup @ZeptoNow is relocating from Mumbai to Bengaluru. This move emphasizes on Bengaluru’s status as India’s tech capital and a premier destination for startups.

Bengaluru offers an unparalleled startup ecosystem, boasting:

- $70.1Bn raised by startups…

— Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) August 7, 2024

Social Media Reaction:

Online users have mixed reactions to the IT minister's comments on the quick commerce startup.

One user wrote, "Lol. He should be careful. Brand bangalore is in super threat lately. This move could backfire for Zepto and others in a few years."

Another user commented, "Who is he fooling? Zepto is here because they will save a huge sum on rents. As advised by their investors. The founders had no say."

A third user replied, "Best roads, best people who don't fight over trivial language issues, best governance which is corruption free, no 40% sarkara, best municipality. Just WOW."