Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal that one’s surname does not matter. The Prime Minister’s tweet was in response to Goyal’s viral video in which he spoke about his initial journey and the scepticism he faced.

At a recent event hosted by Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Deepinder Goyal shared a deeply personal anecdote about the founding of Zomato. The video of his speech quickly gained attention on social networks.

In the video, Goyal recalled starting Zomato 16 years ago, in 2008. His father’s first reaction was doubt and anxiety. Goyal’s father asked him, “Janta hai tera baap kaun hai?” meaning “Do you know who your father is?”, suggesting that their humble background made going to a startup seem unlikely.

As a boy from a small town in Punjab, Goyal faced a common mindset that questioned his ability to make it in the startup world. His father’s words echoed in his ears. “When I told my father about launching Zomato, he said, ‘Janta hai tera baap kaun hai?’, meaning ‘you can’t launch’,” he recalled.

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“But it was this government and its initiatives that enabled a small-town boy like me to build something like Zomato, which now employs millions of people!” he said.

Retweeting the clip, Prime Minister Modi remarked that success is not determined by family names, and Goyal’s achievements have inspired numerous entrepreneurs.

“Last name doesn’t matter in today’s India. What matters is the work. Your journey is truly inspiring, Deepinder Goyal! It’s motivating countless young people to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams. We are committed to providing the right environment for startups to thrive,” PM Modi said.

After launching Zomato in 2008, Deepinder Goyal quickly grew the startup from a restaurant listings and reviews platform into a food delivery giant. He oversaw the expansion of Zomato to over 1,000 cities in India.

A graduate of IIT Delhi, Goyal recently appeared on Shark Tank India Season 2. He was also in the news for his marriage to former model and entrepreneur Grecia Munoz.

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