1 day ago
NRI Entrepreneur Explains Why Three India Startups Failed
Aniruddha Anjana had built a successful business in the United States.
He returned to India and tried to start three businesses.
His first business sold building materials, but customers often did not pay on time.
His second business worked on a government drone-survey project that later stopped moving forward.
His third business was a restaurant in Indore called FlyDining.
He said alleged corruption and pressure from local businesses caused it to close after six months.
These experiences made him less trusting of customers and business systems in India.
His US business is still profitable, so he could absorb the losses, but he does not currently plan to try again in India.
Aniruddha Anjana returned to India after a decade in the United States, expecting his business experience to help him succeed.
His building-materials venture closed after he struggled to collect payments from customers who bought cement and steel on credit.
An engineering consultancy project involving drone surveys for city planning stalled after the government official handling the tender stopped responding.
His Indore restaurant venture, FlyDining, lasted six months before he said alleged corruption and pressure from local players forced its closure.
Anjana said his US-based business remains profitable, but he currently has no plans to start another venture in India.
- Who
- Aniruddha Anjana, an entrepreneur with a construction background who had previously built a successful US-based startup.
- What
- He described the failure of three Indian ventures: a building-materials business, an engineering consultancy, and the FlyDining restaurant.
- Where
- India, including Indore; his earlier successful venture operates in the United States.
- When
- After Anjana returned to India following a decade in the United States; the FlyDining venture lasted six months.
- Why
- He attributed the failures to unpaid customer dues, a stalled government project, and alleged corruption and pressure from local players.
Anjana’s Critique
Market-Adaptation View
Ease of doing business
Anjana’s Critique
Anjana said delayed payments, a stalled government process, alleged corruption, and pressure from local players made it difficult to operate honestly and respectfully.
Market-Adaptation View
Several commenters agreed that delayed payments and unpredictable processes create unnecessary friction, while another argued that businesses must learn how each market operates separately.
How businesses succeed
Anjana’s Critique
Anjana warned people returning from abroad to pause and reconsider starting a business in India based on his experiences.
Market-Adaptation View
One commenter said success may depend on being the cheapest provider or offering unique, highly valued quality that allows advance payment or payment on delivery.
Key facts
- Entrepreneur
- Aniruddha Anjana
- Previous experience
- Spent a decade in the United States and had built a successful startup there.
- First venture
- A building-materials business selling items including cement and steel on credit.
- Second venture
- An engineering consultancy involved in drone surveys for city planning.
- Third venture
- FlyDining, a restaurant business in Indore.
- Restaurant duration
- Six months, according to Anjana.
- Current position
- His US-based venture remains profitable, and he said he has no current plans to start another Indian business.
Quotes
Aniruddha Anjana
NRI entrepreneur who described his three failed Indian business ventures
“What I didn't expect was chasing my own money — calling the same person 10 times a year later just to get paid. Eventually I got tired of humiliating myself over money that was mine to begin with. I shut it down.”
NDTV
“If you're thinking about starting something in India after moving back from abroad - pause. Rethink. Talk to someone who's already paid the tuition.”
NDTV
Sources
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