On August 7, Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge welcomed Zepto, a quick commerce startup, to Bengaluru, celebrating the city’s reputation as India’s leading startup hub.
Kharge invited more startups to join Bengaluru’s vibrant ecosystem, emphasizing the city’s appeal as a millennial-friendly destination for education and employment. He highlighted Bengaluru’s high concentration of funded tech startups and its strong pool of employable female talent.
Zepto, originally based in Mumbai, recently decided to relocate its headquarters from Powai, Mumbai to Sarjapur, Bengaluru, citing high rental costs in Mumbai.
“Unicorn quick commerce startup @ZeptoNow is moving from Mumbai to Bengaluru. This move underscores Bengaluru’s status as India’s tech capital and a premier destination for startups. I encourage more startups to join us and thrive in the best startup ecosystem in India,” Kharge wrote.
He further added, “Bengaluru offers an exceptional startup environment, with $70.1 billion raised by startups since 2010, including $15.1 billion this year alone. The city leads in B2B funding at $34.9 billion and B2C funding at $4.9 billion, and is home to 45 unicorns valued at $160.8 billion.”
Social Media Reaction:
The IT minister’s comments sparked mixed reactions online.
One user wrote, “Lol. He should be careful. Brand Bangalore is under serious threat lately. This move could backfire for Zepto and others in a few years.”
Another user commented, “Who is he fooling? Zepto is here because they’ll save a huge sum on rent, as advised by their investors. The founders had no say.”
A third user added, “Best roads, best people who don’t fight over trivial language issues, best governance with no corruption, best municipality. Just WOW.”