Founder mulls leaving India over corruption, economic policies, MSME support: ‘Tired of fighting’- Moneycontrol.com

Dr Venkatesh Rajamani, founder of Chennai-based consultancy tryBusinessAgility and an author on AI strategy, has signalled he is seriously considering leaving India, citing corruption, unfavourable economic policies for small businesses, bureaucratic hurdles and a deteriorating quality of life. In a LinkedIn post that has sparked broad debate, Rajamani said he is "tired of fighting" and questioned whether staying in India is now harder than relocating abroad.

"I've never seriously thought about leaving India," Rajamani wrote. "This is my home. It's where I built my company, my career, and many of my relationships." He added later, "It's just that, I'm tired of fighting! Soon I've to say good bye!"

Why a founder is weighing relocation

Rajamani outlined a series of lived experiences that have eroded his faith in the system. He described everyday corruption touching areas from food quality and housing to public services, and criticised economic policy choices that he believes "disproportionately benefit the wealthy while placing growing burdens on the middle class and small business owners." He wrote that micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) "contribute through taxes, create jobs, and drive the economy, yet meaningful support is often missing when it's needed most."

He also recounted a personal bureaucratic hurdle: "When I chose the clean, legal route to obtain electricity and a three-phase connection, it took me nearly three months," Rajamani wrote, arguing that "following the rules should not become a disadvantage." In a more distressing anecdote, he alleged that his family had to pay a bribe to complete mortuary-related formalities after his father's death, using the episode to underscore a broader point about access to a basic quality of life.

• Founder: Dr Venkatesh Rajamani, tryBusinessAgility, Chennai
• Key complaints: everyday corruption, weak MSME support, bureaucratic inefficiency
• Personal responsibilities cited: guardian to three children, care for a widowed sister, an unmarried sister and parents

Broader trend of founders relocating

Rajamani's remarks come amid a wave of similar departures and expressions of frustration from Indian entrepreneurs. Earlier this year, entrepreneur Soumendra Jena, now based in Dubai, said he left India in 2021 because "the system no longer made sense" and claimed running an ethical business had become difficult; Jena also reported that his earnings increased significantly after moving to the UAE. Separately, 27-year-old Mehul Mohan, founder of startup Fermion, announced he had moved from Bengaluru to Dubai indefinitely, stating he was "completely burned out" with the system in India and that his decision was not primarily financial.

The post on LinkedIn prompted several responses, including a comment that "the pasture on the other side looks greener until you get there." Rajamani countered: "Do I have a choice to decide what I want? ... Every decision has pros and cons, it's just that the pros should be more than the cons." He stressed that his personal circumstances—supporting multiple dependents—make relocation a complex and weighty choice rather than a casual response to online debate.

Outlook

Rajamani acknowledged India's "immense entrepreneurial talent and potential" but argued that stronger systems are needed "to reward honesty, support small businesses and make everyday life fairer." For now he remains open to change if reforms do not materialise: "We just need a quality life, which I don't think we get in India," he wrote, signalling that patience may be running out for founders balancing ethical business practices with mounting systemic frustrations.