National level acclaim for State's fire brigade: Home Minister Dr. G. Parameshwar.
Bengaluru: Home Minister Dr. G. Parameshwar extended his congratulations to the dedicated officers and staff during the 'Chief Minister's Medal Awarding Ceremony and Firemen's Exit Parade' at the RA Mundkur Fire and Emergency Services Training Academy Grounds in Koramangala.
Dr. G. Parameshwar emphasized the importance of having a fire brigade office in every district, a directive that has been fulfilled by the state government with offices now established in every taluk.
Acknowledging the sincere efforts of the Fire and Emergency Services, Home Guard, and State Disaster Management Department, Dr. G. Parameshwar commended their commitment to their respective roles, expressing optimism for a bright future ahead.
Highlighting advancements in firefighting technology, Dr. G. Parameshwar mentioned the adoption of an aerial ladder capable of delivering water up to 90 meters, a feature not commonly found in most states. Additionally, he announced the provision of petrol card privileges for department vehicles, a first-time initiative.
Reflecting on the evolving nature of emergency response, Dr. G. Parameshwar noted the changes brought about by technological advancements and the importance of training for dealing with modern challenges, such as accidents in urban areas and the need for specialized equipment.
Dr. G. Parameshwar also praised the significant recruitment of personnel from North Karnataka into the department, encouraging more individuals from the region to pursue opportunities within it.
Dr. G. Parameshwar mentioned tales of heroism, including the rescue of a child named Satvik from a tube well in Indi taluk and saving a person's life during a pub explosion in Koramangala, while speaking abhe bravery and dedication exhibited by department personnel under challenging circumstances.
Concluding his address, Dr. G. Parameshwar likened the Constitution to revered religious texts Quran, Bible and Bhagavad Gita while speaking about its paramount importance as the foundational document of the nation, serving as the guiding principle for all citizens, regardless of religion or political affiliation, to work together for the betterment of the country.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Aman Gupta sides with Piyush Goyal’s comments on Indian startups to focus on deep tech
New Delhi, Apr 06 (PTI): boAt co-founder Aman Gupta has come out in support of Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal's recent remarks urging Indian startups to focus more on deep-tech innovation. Gupta's comments come amid an ongoing debate within the startup ecosystem where several founders have countered Goyal's critique of consumer-focused ventures like food delivery and luxury goods startups.
Gupta took to social media platform X to echo Goyal's call for startups to move beyond consumer-centric models like food delivery and fantasy sports apps and instead prioritise technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics, and quantum computing.
"It's not every day that the government asks founders to dream bigger. But at Startup Mahakumbh, that's exactly what happened. I was there. I heard the full speech. Hon. Minister @PiyushGoyal Ji isn't against founders. He believes in us. His point was simple: India has come far, but to lead the world...we need to aim higher.
"It reminded me of something I say often on Shark Tank India, If you want to build a world-class product, you must know your competition. That applies to India too," Gupta wrote.
The minister, during the inaugural of Startup Mahakumbh on Thursday, asked the Indian startup community to shift their focus from grocery delivery and ice cream making to high-tech sectors like semiconductors, machine learning, robotics, and artificial intelligence.
He had questioned Indian food delivery startups for turning unemployed youth into cheap labour.
"Are we going to be happy being delivery boys and girls... Is that the destiny of India...this is not a startup, this is entrepreneurship... What the other side is doing -- robotics, machine learning, 3D manufacturing and next generation factories," Goyal said, showing a slide titled "India vs China. The Startup Reality Check".
The minister had pointed out that only 1,000 of India's 1.57 lakh recognized startups operate in deep-tech spaces-a situation he described as "disturbing" given India's aspirations to become a developed nation by 2047.
Startup founders including Zepto CEO Aadit Palicha, Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu, and Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma have countered Goyal's comments.
Gupta, however, said pitching the country against China is a smart strategy.
"Benchmarking against China, the US, or anyone else -- isn't weakness. It's a smart strategy. We're already the 3rd largest startup ecosystem in the world and the fastest-growing major economy. But if we want to be No.1, we need to also go deep into AI, deep tech, climate, mobility, and infra. We need LLMs and innovation stacks that compete on global standards.
"And to make that happen, we also need Scientific risk, More patient capital, Founder-policymaker collaboration and a long-term national vision," Gupta wrote.
It’s not every day that the government asks founders to dream bigger.
— Aman Gupta (@amangupta0303) April 6, 2025
But at Startup Mahakumbh, that’s exactly what happened. I was there. I heard the full speech. Hon. Minister @PiyushGoyal Ji isn’t against founders. He believes in us.His point was simple: India has come far,… pic.twitter.com/bA4ontAz1M
