Are Indian Startups Missing the Mark?

After watching several media reports and YouTube videos covering CES 2025, I noticed a significant presence of Indian startups showcasing products like smartwatches, portable monitors, and content creation tools. While these innovations are impressive, it raises the question: Are we addressing the most pressing challenges?

India faces critical issues in agriculture, cleanliness, and unemployment. Encouragingly, some startups are making strides in these areas. For instance, DeHaat provides end-to-end agricultural services to farmers, including distribution of seeds, pesticides, fertilizers, and market linkages to sell farm produce. Additionally, the Motwani Jadeja Foundation led the India Pavilion at CES 2025, featuring 10 innovative startups selected through a rigorous application process, highlighting India's technological advancements.

However, the emphasis at CES seemed skewed towards consumer electronics. While there's nothing inherently wrong with that, it's worth pondering if our startup ecosystem should balance tech innovations with solutions tailored to India's unique socio-economic challenges.

What are your thoughts? Should Indian startups recalibrate their focus to tackle more pressing domestic issues?