New Delhi, April 27 -- Bengaluru: Commerce minister Piyush Goyal recently underlined the fact that India is "far behind" China in innovation. "What are India's startups of today? We are focused on food delivery apps, turning unemployed youths into cheap labour so the rich can get their meals without moving out of their house," the minister lamented.

The backlash against Goyal's remarks was swift and predictable. Startup founders, enablers and watchers joined camps either defending or criticising the progress of India's entrepreneurial ambition and effort.

But beyond the discourse on the internet, Goyal's remarks pointed to an uncomfortable truth: builders in India have long struggled to turn foundational science into scalable and commer...