Adding another accolade to his distinguished career, Nithin Kamath, the co-founder and CEO of Zerodha, has been appointed as a member of the National Start-up Advisory Council (NSAC), a newly formed panel by the central government. The announcement of Kamath’s inclusion in the council, along with 30 other members, was made on December 18.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the Zerodha founder shared the news of his appointment. He emphasized the growing interest among India’s younger generation in entrepreneurship, attributing it to government initiatives, extensive media coverage of startups, the success stories of founders, and more. In his post, Kamath raised one point that resonates with many stakeholders in the Indian startup ecosystem—unlocking domestic capital for startups and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
Kamath stated, “The one thing we need to work on as a nation is to unlock domestic capital for startups/MSMEs. Reduce the dependence on foreign capital and get Indians to back Indian startups.”
He also called for exploring new financial products or vehicles that would enable accredited investors and those willing to take higher risks to invest in equity or debt of startups and MSMEs. Kamath underlined the increasing appetite in India for such investments and stressed that this move could significantly reduce the reliance on external capital, ensuring that wealth generated from startups remains within the country.
About NSAC:
The National Startup Advisory Council (NSAC) was established by the central government in January 2020 with the primary objective of creating a nurturing ecosystem for startup companies and fostering innovation. Under the aegis of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), the council is headed by Union Minister Piyush Goyal.
It is pertinent to note that Members of the NSAC are appointed for a term of two years, and the council comprises both official and non-official members. Nithin Kamath joins a diverse group of accomplished professionals and experts, including Prof Amitabha Bandyopadhyay from IIT Kanpur, Karthik Reddy representing the Indian Venture and Alternate Capital Association, and Prof Yogesh Singh from the University of Delhi. The council also includes Nivruti Rai from Invest India and presidents of various industry chambers.
