Why building a tech startup can be tougher in Delhi than in Bangalore

The President’s House, New Delhi

It was during the early pre-funded days of his Delhi-based startup – Wigzo – that Umair Mohammad went to the CEO of a well known healthcare startup to seek advice and potential partnership. Due to Delhi’s high traffic, Umair got delayed by about 20 minutes.

“He talked to me very rudely and gave just 15 minutes of the allotted one hour time,” Umair recounts to Tech in Asia in Bangalore.

It’s this lack of cooperation that is peeving Delhi’s young entrepreneurs who seek support to grow their baby into a big venture.

When Umair asked if both entrepreneurs (of almost the same age) could talk on the phone to share ideas which can be beneficial to both, the CEO refused to even share his mobile number and directed him to his personal secretary.

The capital city’s history of power struggle

India’s capital city Delhi is almost 5,000 years old. And in the last 1,200 years, it has seen lot of power struggle – first between the Hindu rulers and Muslim invaders, then between the Mughals and the British. Post independence, the city has been in the thick of the tussle between various political parties of India.

“It’s natural to get insecure when someone invades into your territory. Even I would get insecure if an employee quits to startup something in the cab business. With Delhi’s history of power struggles, competition is ingrained in our culture,” says Ashok Vashishth, CEO and founder of WTi Cabs.

Ashok belongs to the old crop of brick and mortar entrepreneurs while Umair is the new generation which is tinkering with technology to build software products.

Perhaps, it’s this sense of territorial control and power that makes even the seasoned businessmen fear young 20-somethings, starting in the same or related space.

The Tomb of Humayun, a Mughal ruler of India.

“A 20-something competitor if allowed to grow big will have much more energy than me who is an ageing entrepreneur,” admits Ashok candidly.

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