Bengaluru Entrepreneur Bans Team from Talking to Indian Customers: The Rise of the ‘Skip India Movement’ 2025

The Indian startup ecosystem has been hailed globally for its innovation, resilience, and rapid growth. Yet, a recent decision by Bengaluru-based entrepreneur Paras Chopra, founder of Wingify and Lossfunk (an AI research lab), has sparked widespread debate in tech circles. Chopra publicly declared that he has banned his team from talking to Indian customers altogether. The reason? A growing sentiment among Indian tech founders that the domestic market can be more of a liability than an opportunity—giving rise to what is now being called the “Skip India Movement.”

But what is this movement really about? Why are some of India’s most promising entrepreneurs choosing to bypass their home market? And more importantly, what does this trend mean for the future of Indian innovation, tech services, and the relationship between startups and customers?

Let’s dive deeper.

The Spark Behind the Movement

The controversy began when Paras Chopra responded to a post about Indian AI founders strategically avoiding Indian customers. The original post was made by Vaibhav Domkundwar, founder of Better Capital and a respected investor in the Indian startup ecosystem. Domkundwar claimed that many AI startups are consciously choosing not to work with Indian clients due to repeated patterns of behavior: free trials, undercutting prices, endless negotiations, and limited long-term value.

Chopra echoed these concerns and went a step further, stating that his team has been banned from engaging with Indian customers altogether. In his words, this decision is not rooted in bias but in experience—his team’s efforts to build and test AI solutions were being drained by unrealistic expectations and demands that rarely converted into sustainable business.

This sentiment has touched a nerve in the Indian tech community. Supporters argue that founders must prioritize survival and scale, even if it means abandoning certain markets. Critics, on the other hand, see this as an elitist attitude and a failure to contribute to the improvement of the Indian digital ecosystem.

Who Is Paras Chopra?

Paras Chopra is not a newcomer in the startup world. As the founder of Wingify, the parent company of the popular A/B testing tool VWO, he’s a well-respected voice in tech and product circles. His entrepreneurial journey has been widely admired, particularly for bootstrapping Wingify to become a globally competitive SaaS company.

His new venture, Lossfunk, is focused on artificial intelligence—an area where rapid prototyping, experimentation, and real user feedback are crucial. However, Chopra claims that the Indian market has failed to provide a conducive environment for this kind of agile innovation.

What Is the ‘Skip India Movement’?

The “Skip India movement” movement isn’t a formal or organized campaign. Instead, it’s an emerging trend where Indian startup founders, particularly in the deep tech, SaaS, and AI sectors, are intentionally avoiding the Indian market. Some key motivations behind this shift include:

1. Low Willingness to Pay: Indian customers, especially in B2B segments, are often highly price-sensitive and reluctant to pay for early-stage or experimental products.
2. High Expectation for Free Trials or Customization: Many founders have reported that Indian clients demand extended free trials, heavy customizations, or deep discounts before even considering adoption.
3. Lack of Product Appreciation: Early adopters play a crucial role in product feedback and iteration. Many founders feel that Indian users don’t engage deeply enough to offer useful insights.
4. Drain on Resources: The time and effort needed to acquire and manage Indian customers sometimes outweigh the benefits, especially for small teams with global ambitions.

In short, for many founders, India has become an exhausting and unprofitable market—hence, the rise of the “Skip India movement” mindset.

Is This a One-Sided Story?

While Chopra’s and Domkundwar’s viewpoints reflect a genuine frustration, it’s important to consider the larger context. India is a massive and diverse market, and generalizing based on selective experiences can be misleading.

Many successful SaaS and tech companies—like Zoho, Freshworks, Razorpay, and Postman—have not only thrived in India but also used their domestic market as a launchpad for global success. Critics argue that the “Skip India movement” approach is short-sighted and dismissive of the millions of Indian businesses hungry for digital transformation, especially in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.

Moreover, building in India for India can offer unique insights, competitive pricing strategies, and a strong foundation in understanding user behavior at scale. For every difficult customer, there may be one willing to partner and grow alongside the startup.

A Broader Reflection of Market Maturity?

The tension highlighted by this debate may not be uniquely Indian. Every emerging economy struggles with similar startup-customer frictions. For example, startups in Southeast Asia, Latin America, and Africa often report similar challenges—late payments, low digital literacy, and price sensitivity.

What sets India apart is its sheer scale. Founders face the paradox of having a billion potential users but relatively low per-user monetization. Many Indian consumers still prefer “jugaad” (hacks) over paid services, and enterprise buyers often rely heavily on negotiation rather than trust in product value.

The issue, therefore, might not be cultural or behavioral, but economic. Indian businesses are still adapting to a software-first approach and many operate on tight margins. Expecting Silicon Valley-style SaaS pricing or seamless onboarding from day one may be unrealistic.

What Are the Long-Term Implications?

The implications of the “Skip India moment” mindset could be significant, both for startups and for India’s broader digital economy:

1. Loss of Local Innovation

By bypassing Indian users, startups might miss out on solving real, pressing problems in their own backyard—problems that global customers may not even encounter.

2. Dependence on Western Markets

Chasing clients in the US or Europe may seem profitable in the short term, but it increases exposure to foreign market risks, currency fluctuations, and competition.

3. Stunted Ecosystem Growth

If Indian startups don’t serve Indian clients, the local ecosystem could become hollow—filled with builders, but no users. This could stunt the development of India’s digital maturity.

4. Missed Collaboration Opportunities

Indian customers, even if demanding, can also become strong advocates, collaborators, and co-creators. Skipping them means missing out on these unique synergies.

So, What’s the Middle Ground?

Rather than completely skipping India, startups could consider segmenting the market more strategically:

• Targeting Mature Enterprises: Focus on Indian companies that understand SaaS and have budget allocations for digital transformation.
• Educating the Market: Build content, workshops, and demos to nurture Indian customers into becoming informed users.
• Setting Clear Boundaries: Offer short trials, firm pricing, and stick to productized offerings rather than giving in to endless customizations.
• Leveraging Government Support: Initiatives like Digital India and Startup India are designed to help startups grow and scale with Indian customers.

Skipping an entire market may be a decision of efficiency, but it can also be a missed opportunity for lasting impact.

In Conclusion

The ‘Skip India movement’ reflects a very real tension between startups and their domestic customers. While Paras Chopra’s decision may make sense from a tactical standpoint, it opens up a deeper conversation about value, expectation, and mutual respect in India’s evolving tech landscape.

India is not an easy market—but it is a market that needs nurturing, education, and collaboration. While some founders may choose to look outward, the true test of India’s startup strength may lie in those who choose to stay and build for home first.

What Do You Think?

Is the “Skip India movement” a practical strategy for early-stage startups, or is it an overreaction to the natural challenges of a developing market? Should Indian founders focus solely on global markets, or is there still untapped gold in serving Indian clients the right way?

👉 We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below or on social media using #SkipIndiaDebate.

At Itsyourdigital, we work closely with emerging startups and tech innovators to help them craft impactful digital narratives and connect meaningfully with their audience. As a digital marketing and strategy partner, we’ve observed firsthand the unique challenges Indian founders face—both in product positioning and customer engagement. Through content, branding, and growth campaigns, our mission is to empower businesses to not only thrive in international markets but also reimagine how they serve and scale within India. The ongoing “Skip India movement” debate is a reflection of these tensions, and we believe meaningful dialogue and strategic storytelling can bridge this growing disconnect.

Source of Information: Hindustan Times