VC-funded startups want a government handout

I am usually not surprised by the various shenanigans startups get up to, but two events in the last month have caught me by surprise. First, was a recommendation document circulated by 30-odd venture capital folks and startup founders sent to the government of India advocating for a lockdown of the country to fight against COVID-19. And second, a collective of 75 startup founders, venture capital investors and industry associations sent a list of demands in a bailout proposal sent to the government. Interestingly enough, there’s absolutely no overlap between the two groups.

Let’s deal with the bailout first. I’ll …

Author

Ashish K. Mishra

Ashish is the editor-in-chief of The Morning Context. One of the best-known business feature writers in India, he was selected for Germany’s Robert Bosch Stiftung Fellowship in 2012 and received the Mumbai Press Club RedInk certificate of recognition in 2015 for his story “Inside the Network 18 takeover”. Before joining The Morning Context, Ashish co-founded The Ken, where he was managing editor. His previous writing stints include Mint, Forbes India and The Economic Times.

Editor-in-chief

ashish@mailtmc.com

London