A 2019 study said 55% of Indian entrepreneurs aged 20-40 years report anxiety as a dominant feeling, while many others have suicidal thoughts due to the everyday pressures
Startup founders say society-at-large doesn’t understand the mental pressures of running a business and the responsibility of managing employees
Though experts believe speaking about mental health issues is crucial, even the tragic death of CCD founder VG Siddhartha last year didn’t spark open conversations around mental health.
India's healthtech startups were growing rapidly even before the pandemic, but Covid-19 has ushered in a new age. This series dives into the trends, startups business models emerging in the wake of Covid-19.“If you’re a startup founder, you will have at least one psychological breakdown, and anyone who tells you is not being honest,” said Akshit Mehta, founder of Vorqspace and executive partner in Sridham, a seed fund investment company.“Vulnerability is considered weak. No top VCs or entrepreneurs talk about the pressures involved in a startup. We may hear every now and then somebody talking about it, but that is less than 1% of entrepreneurs world over,” he said.“It is a downward spiral, the crevices of which can be unnerving. A collective like Alcoholics Anonymous where people share their problems could really help everyone introspect. I’ve seen that talking to others usually makes you realise that you aren’t cornered and you aren’t alone,” said Maaz Ansari, cofounder and director, ORI.