Piyush Goyal announces Startup Helpline after remark on lack of focus on Deep-Tech

NEW DELHI : Union Minister Shri Piyush Goyal has announced the launch of a dedicated Startup India desk within the ministry to serve as a helpline for budding entrepreneurs across India.

The announcement comes days after Goyal sparked debate at the Startup Mahakumbh 2025, where he urged investors and entrepreneurs to focus on high-impact innovation – particularly in sectors like deep tech, robotics, and AI-over lifestyle and D2C brands.

His comments stirred both praise and criticism across India’s startup ecosystem, highlighting a growing concern about the direction and depth of innovation in the country.

Startup India Helpdesk 

Minister Piyush Goyal stated in a government press release that the helpline would be available via a straightforward four-digit toll-free number in local languages. 

A startup can report issues, if they exist, and offer suggestions for how to further enhance the ecosystem through this helpline.

“Whenever any officer troubles you (startups) or if you want to make any suggestion regarding any changes in the laws or if you want to flag any product or technology which may not fall under the current legal boundaries of India, you will be able to reach out to that helpline,” said Union Minister Goyal during his address.

The minister further stated that the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) will receive ₹2,000 crore as the first installment of the second Fund of Funds for Startups, which has a capital of ₹10,000 crore and was approved by the Centre this year.

Minister Piyush Goyal said a significant portion of the fund will be reserved for seed funding of small startups and to support deep-tech innovation. “We aim to foster the development of cutting-edge technologies like AI, robotics, quantum computing, machine learning, precision manufacturing, and biotech,” he said.