Aman Rai, a Bengaluru-based entrepreneur and IIT Delhi graduate, has raised eyebrows with his recent criticism of the government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative. Rai, who featured in Season 4 of Shark Tank India and secured a ₹1 crore deal for his venture Aroleap, faced major hurdles while applying for a factory license for his business, ultimately leading him to question the government’s support for small businesses.
Sharing his frustration on social media, Rai revealed that a vendor had requested INR 70,000 as “out-of-pocket expenses” to process the factory license, a demand he deemed excessive. He went on to call out the inefficiency of the ‘Make in India’ program, expressing disbelief over the challenges he encountered despite the government’s promises of promoting entrepreneurship and easing business operations.
In his post, Rai sarcastically remarked, “So much for ‘Make in India’ & ‘Ease of doing business’?” His words resonated with many, as the post garnered over 7 crore views and 7,400 likes. Undeterred, Rai bypassed the vendor and took matters into his own hands by directly applying for the license. To his shock, he faced an even greater obstacle—an attempt to extort a ₹1 lakh bribe in exchange for processing the license.
The posts sparked strong reactions across social media, with many users sharing similar experiences of navigating red tape and corruption. One user likened the process to a nightmare, recounting their own struggles in obtaining a GMP FDA manufacturing license. Others criticized the government’s ‘Make in India’ campaign, calling it more of a slogan than a solution for small businesses.
In response to the viral post, a senior official from the Ministry of Commerce reached out to Rai, promising to address the issue promptly.
Rai’s experience sheds light on the reality many entrepreneurs face in India, calling into question the effectiveness of initiatives that claim to support business growth. While the ‘Make in India’ initiative has the potential to foster innovation, the systemic issues plaguing bureaucracy and corruption continue to hinder the ease of doing business in the country.
#SharkTankIndia #MakeInIndia #Entrepreneurship #EaseOfDoingBusiness #Aroleap #StartupIndia #CorruptionInBusiness #BureaucracyIssues #BusinessChallenges #IndianEntrepreneur #MakeInIndiaReality #SocialMediaBuzz #IITDelhi #BusinessStruggles #GovernmentInitiative
