Startup founder questions India's growth story, cites corruption, inequality as key hurdles
New Delhi: Dhawal Jain, founder and CEO of mental health startup Mave Health, has stirred debate on social media after expressing disillusionment with what he called the “India's growth story.” In a candid post on X, Jain said he was optimistic aboout India’s progress but it has waned. He warned that the country’s economic and social challenges might worsen in the coming years.
“I was high on India’s growth story, but not anymore,” Jain wrote reflecting on how his faith in the nation’s development narrative had faded.
Jain, who once believed India’s problems were remnants of its colonial past and that economic growth would naturally lead to better infrastructure and governance, said, “But lately, it feels like it’s all just a story being fed to us. The change isn’t really coming. The slow growth we see now might not improve, in fact, it could get worse."
Pointing to corruption and a “scarcity mindset” as the two biggest obstacles, Jain argued that accountability must begin at the top. “When our politicians leave rally grounds littered, I can’t expect an average Indian to take the ‘Clean India Mission’ seriously,” he remarked.
He criticised the lack of transparency in how public funds are used. He said, “It pinches me when I pay tax because I know part of it goes into someone’s pocket. I’d love to pay more tax, but I just want to know how it’s being used.” Jain described government processes as “opaque” and “a nightmare” for those who try to act ethically.
Recalling a local tragedy, he cited civic negligence, in which a young boy lost his life in a pothole accident. “Only that one pothole was repaired; others were ignored. We talk about caring for citizens, it’s almost a joke,” he said.
Jain also warned that the rise of artificial intelligence and humanoid automation could exacerbate unemployment. “Millions of Indians will lose jobs, and I don’t expect the government to handle it. Maybe they’ll ban humanoids like they resisted self-driving cars,” he wrote.
Jain expressed admiration for India’s entrepreneurs. “The only way I see us doing better is if entrepreneurs build better systems, fund research, improve healthcare, and drive innovation. I’m so proud of young, ambitious Indians doing real work against all odds,” he said.
Acknowledging his own privilege Jain concluded his post by reaffirming his saying, “I’m not ranting, I just want my country to do better. I’d love to be proven wrong. Until then, I hope India is thriving in some other universe, because I truly believe she can.”
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PM Modi to address three election rallies in Assam on Monday
Guwahati (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address three election rallies in Assam on Monday, canvassing for BJP candidates for the April 9 state elections.
The first rally is at Bhabanipur-Sorbhog in Lower Assam's Barpeta district, where Modi will canvass for Minister Ranjeet Kumar Das.
The prime minister will then address a rally at Hojai in central Assam for BJP candidate Shiladitya Dev. The prime minister's final rally is at Upper Assam's Dibrugarh for state minister Prasanta Phukan.
This would be the second time this election season that the prime minister would be in Assam for poll campaigning. He had campaigned in the state on April 1, addressing rallies at Gogamukh and Behali, and interacting with women tea garden workers in Dibrugarh.
Campaigning for the assembly polls in the state will end on Wednesday. Elections to 126 assembly constituencies in Assam will be held on April 9, with counting of votes on May 4.
