‘Leave India, it’s high time’: Startup founder’s advice to high-earning Indians

An Indian entrepreneur and startup founder recently shared his thoughts on Reddit, advising “highly paid professionals” to consider moving abroad, arguing that while India is a great country, it may not be the ideal place to foster innovation.

In a post on the r/India subreddit, the user revealed that he studied at one of India’s top engineering institutes before pursuing his master’s degree in the US. He went on to work for a major bank before returning to India in 2018 to start his own company.

He stated that he “successfully made this work” after securing significant funding. “I employ around 30 people, paying an average salary of Rs 15 lakh,” the user shared.

“Leave India! The time is now! And I say this as someone who runs a well-funded business!” He wrote the following in the title of his detailed article.

The entrepreneur listed several reasons why he recommends those looking to build “something innovative” consider moving. He claimed that innovation in India was stifled by “stupid” regulations.

“You have to be a bureaucrat, politician or celebrity to get things done easily. Let me give you an example, a fraud case was filed in our app and an FIR was filed. We solved the case, helped the police and the victim. Guess what, we are accused and the police do not close the case and expect money from us ” he said.

The user also highlighted the issue of regional inequality, stating that he experiences “regional hatred” from sabziwalas, auto drivers, taxi drivers, restaurant workers and more almost every week. He also criticized the “low work ethic” among Indians and said that in India “if you don’t look rich or wear branded clothing, you are scum in this country”.