'Delhi has less froth': Indian CEO says Bengaluru not the best city for startups

Bombay Shaving Company CEO Shantanu Deshpande said Delhi is ‘1,000 per cent’ better than Bengaluru to start a business.

Updated on: Oct 9, 2024, 17:09:10 IST

By Shylaja Varma

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Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal's recent statement that one does not need to be in Bengaluru to start a business brought back the debate of whether the Karnataka capital is indeed the startup capital of India or if other cities, such as Delhi-NCR, Mumbai or Pune are better for entrepreneurs. Now, another founder has said that Delhi is "1,000 per cent" better to start a business as compared to Bengaluru, sparking a range of reactions.

Shantanu Deshpande is the founder and CEO of Bombay Shaving Company.

‘Delhi has less froth, more substance’

"I think Delhi is the best city to start a business today. I think Delhi has a 'less front, more substance' mindset," Bombay Shaving Company CEO Shantanu Deshpande told Bengaluru-based YouTuber Ishan Sharma in an interview.

When asked what he means by "froth", the Delhi-based founder said, "Froth means people who after shiny, new objects. Bangalore is very similar to Silicon Valley. There are much higher chances of very disruptive businesses coming out of Bangalore than Delhi."

"But the average high quality business has more chances of coming out of Delhi than Bangalore."

Shantanu Deshpande, who faced extreme backlash on social media two years ago for advising freshers to work 18 hours a day, said when he started his company in Delhi, he had a strong talent pool to hire from, from NCR-based companies such as Zomato, Paytm and Snapdeal.

"Delhi has a very strong business culture... Bangalore and Pune are more service oriented," he said.

(Also Read: Bombay Shaving Company slammed for ‘Dear Prachi’ ad on UP Board topper’s facial hair.)

When Deepinder Goyal said he hasn't been to Bengaluru in 7 years

Last week, Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal said aspiring entrepreneurs need not flock to Bengaluru to launch their ventures.

"Last I was in Bengaluru in 2017, seven years ago… You don't need to come here to build a startup. That's just what people here think, but it's not the case,” he said at an event organised by The Economic Times.

Goyal, 41, is based in Gurgaon.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shylaja Varma
Shylaja Varma is the Trending Editor at Hindustan Times. Having worked in some of India’s top newsrooms, she has established herself as a keen observer of internet culture. Her work often bridges the gap between fast-paced digital developments and traditional reportage. From writing about the human toll of disasters and decoding the hottest memes to tracking what Elon Musk, Indian CEOs, billionaires and tech leaders are doing on social media, Shylaja’s editorial lens is defined by accuracy, speed and a deep understanding of the online landscape. She also writes stories about Indians abroad, the NRI life and struggles. She also has a keen eye for stories about Bengaluru and its startup and IT culture, having grown up in the Karnataka capital and seen its evolution. Prior to her current role, Shylaja spent several years at CNN-News18, NDTV and Moneycontrol, where she honed her skills in real-time news reporting and digital storytelling. She started her career in television news, reporting from Bengaluru and New Delhi. Shylaja built Moneycontrol’s Trends vertical and set up the team, turning it into a high-traffic destination. She also did video interviews for events like Startup Conclave and The Creator Economy Summit A microbiology graduate from Mount Carmel College, Bengaluru, she went on to complete a Master’s in Journalism and Audio-Visual Communication from COMMITS, Bengaluru.Read More

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