Being an entrepreneur is tough, but being an entrepreneur with a genuine passion for growth is next to impossible, especially in India. If slogging for hours to meet deadlines, hunting for the right talent, and arranging for the right equipment was tough, dealing with indifferent, inflexible babus is impossible. Though many keep pushing forward with the hope for change, many others have given up on the very concept of hope.
A leading entrepreneur from Bengaluru, Rohit Shroff, has summed up his frustration in a viral LinkedIn post, explaining his challenges with the government despite paying his taxes- about Rs.4 crore on time.
“In India, barely 4–5% of the population pays income tax. And yet, when notices are sent, clarifications raised, and scrutiny intensified, the same small group keeps getting targeted. The compliant. The ones already inside the system.” he says.
“Fighting the system costs more than submitting to it, so most don’t resist. They pay, respond, and move on.
Indians don’t lack capability. They run large businesses across the UAE, the US, and much of the world. When they leave, it isn’t because they hate the country. It’s because the system doesn’t reward growth. It penalises it. It slows it down,”
Rohit is now looking to move out and build elsewhere, as the hope for change isn’t going to turn into reality.
Many others agreed with him.
“I moved back to India in 2019 believing the system had changed and would keep improving. I’m now certain it hasn’t. It’s designed to clip your wings, not help you fly, and eventually ambition must learn to leave,” Dhruv Mohan, a finance professional, said.
“The issue is that the politicians need votes to stay in power. They need to buy those votes. The use the tax payers money to fund their election. The number of tax payers are so low, that they have no voice when it comes to elections. The really wealthy who can actually effect any change use their money to create monopolies. Who suffers, the people in corporate job who have their wages garnished right from the source. We have no voice but are funding the entire country. The biggest change that is needed is to tax farming income,” another anonymous user on Reddit, commented.
“It’s not about paying hefty amounts in tax, it’s not about infrastructure, it’s about the system targeting that 5% population which is already complaint. We need to raise questions on what IT department does about those who don’t even file their returns. I’m okay being asked to prove every investment if everyone is asked to do that. Why are they not targeting those who are not even in the system? That’s the whole point,” a third said.
Despite the many changes in the rules, netas and babus aren’t doing the job they’re supposed to- boost employment and jobs, even as surface-level moves have been showcased as strides taken to boost the Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision. When will the government actually listen to the entrepreneurs, or will it anytime soon? Maybe no one has an answer.
<p>The post No place for hardworking entrepreneurs? This guy’s post highlights the unaddressable challenges to succeeding in India first appeared on Hello Entrepreneurs.</p>
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