Despite pessimism about growth, there’s never been a better time to build in India: Nithin Kamath
Zerodha founder Nithin Kamath said India too has its own set of “real problems” but it all boils down to how we decide to respond to those challenges.
- Jan 16, 2026,
- Updated Jan 16, 2026 1:12 PM IST
This is the best time to build in India despite some pessimism about its growth prospects, said Zerodha founder Nithin Kamath. He said every successful country deals with its own thorny challenges, as does India, but in unprecedented times such as these, massive opportunities are also being created.
Kamath’s remarks come on National Startup Day. “There's a lot of pessimism about India's growth prospects right now, amplified by the sheer amount of geopolitical drama we're living through. But if we aren't hopeful that India will do better, then everything becomes moot,” he said.
The Zerodha founder said India too has its own set of “real problems” but it all boils down to how we decide to respond to those challenges.
“Today is National Startup Day, and I can't think of a better time to build something in India, and for the world, despite all the challenges. While it's okay to be pessimistic or cynical at times, India has come a long way considering the constraints it has faced. Could it have gone even further? Sure. But it's better to think about things as they are, rather than as they should be, and then work toward what they could be,” he said.
Kamath said if he had said this in 2015-16, then India’s startup scene barely existed outside of a few big e-commerce companies. “There were no local pools of capital. No recognition. People genuinely thought startups were what you did if you had no other skills in life,” he said.
The era of unchecked globalisation is over, said Kamath. “For India, this means we have all the enabling factors in place: improving ease of doing business, deeper pools of local capital (especially long-term investors), a massive domestic market, and active government support for startups,” he said, adding that artificial intelligence has dramatically helped matters.
“Given all of these converging factors, if you've always had a dream to build something, there's never been a better time to take your shot,” said Kamath.
This is the best time to build in India despite some pessimism about its growth prospects, said Zerodha founder Nithin Kamath. He said every successful country deals with its own thorny challenges, as does India, but in unprecedented times such as these, massive opportunities are also being created.
Kamath’s remarks come on National Startup Day. “There's a lot of pessimism about India's growth prospects right now, amplified by the sheer amount of geopolitical drama we're living through. But if we aren't hopeful that India will do better, then everything becomes moot,” he said.
The Zerodha founder said India too has its own set of “real problems” but it all boils down to how we decide to respond to those challenges.
“Today is National Startup Day, and I can't think of a better time to build something in India, and for the world, despite all the challenges. While it's okay to be pessimistic or cynical at times, India has come a long way considering the constraints it has faced. Could it have gone even further? Sure. But it's better to think about things as they are, rather than as they should be, and then work toward what they could be,” he said.
Kamath said if he had said this in 2015-16, then India’s startup scene barely existed outside of a few big e-commerce companies. “There were no local pools of capital. No recognition. People genuinely thought startups were what you did if you had no other skills in life,” he said.
The era of unchecked globalisation is over, said Kamath. “For India, this means we have all the enabling factors in place: improving ease of doing business, deeper pools of local capital (especially long-term investors), a massive domestic market, and active government support for startups,” he said, adding that artificial intelligence has dramatically helped matters.
“Given all of these converging factors, if you've always had a dream to build something, there's never been a better time to take your shot,” said Kamath.