‘Surname doesn’t matter in new India’: PM Modi reminds Zomato CEO

Yesterday, Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal said his dad was furious to know his entrepreneurial ambitions when he started the food delivery startup in 2008.

A video clip of Goyal narrating the incident went viral on social media.

“Tu janta hai tera baap kaun hai”: said Goyal’s father.

Today, PM Modi shared a video clip on X and wrote that in today’s India, one’s surname doesn’t matter – what matters is hard work.“In today’s India, one’s surname doesn’t matter. What matters is hard work. Your journey is truly inspiring, Deepinder Goyal! It motivates countless youngsters to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams. We are committed to providing the right environment for the startups to flourish,” PM Modi wrote on X.

In the video clip, Zomato’s Deepinder Goyal added that his father thought he would never be able to pull off a start-up given their “humble background”.

“I come from a small town in Punjab. But over the last 16 years, I think a lot has changed, especially over the past 7-10 years,” he said while praising the central government initiatives.

'Vishesh Sampark Abhiyan' Event:

The ‘Vishesh Sampark Abhiyan’ event brought together leading IT professionals, innovators, startup leaders, and intellectuals to discuss the country’s digital transformation and future potential under Modi.

Sunil Vachhani, Chairman of Dixon Technologies, shared how his company used to import almost 100% of its mobile phones and electronics a decade ago, but now makes almost all of them locally. He mentioned that with the current government's policies, they will soon export mobile phones worth USD 100 billion. PM Modi praised this transformation, acknowledging India's potential and the proactive steps taken in recent years.

Nitin Jain, Founder of OfBusiness, praised the central government for creating opportunities for SMEs and small businesses through the Digital India program. Rohan Verma, CEO of Map My India, noted the government's significant progress in space and geospatial sectors over the past four years.