Nikhil Kamath urged Indian entrepreneurs to adopt Silicon Valley‑style risk capital at the NDTV World Summit in Delhi on May 28, 2026. He highlighted how Western tech firms have abundant risk capital and a cultural tolerance for failure.
Kamath compared the West’s risk‑taking ethos to India’s cautious approach, noting that in places like Silicon Valley, society rarely stigmatizes failure. He added that “if somebody were to raise a bunch of capital, attempt something huge, and not succeed… it’s not as easy here as it is for them.”
The investor cited China’s amnesty program, which was introduced in the 1990s. In that scheme, entrepreneurs who failed paid a fine and were then allowed to restart quickly, a policy Kamath believes India should emulate.
Kamath’s exhortation comes from a background of entrepreneurial risk himself. He is the co‑founder of Zerodha, India’s largest stockbroker, and has invested in companies such as Licious, Nourish You, Pee Safe, Subko, and Ather.
Industry analysts say that adopting a risk‑tolerant culture could accelerate India’s startup growth. A senior policy analyst at the Institute of Public Enterprise remarked that “policy reforms that reduce the stigma of failure could unlock a wave of innovation.”
Kamath concluded that India should consider policy changes similar to China’s model, hinting that the Ministry of Commerce may begin a review of startup support schemes in the coming months.