Free PoCs Are Killing Indian Startups: Inside the Skip India Movement

Indian AI founders aren’t just building globally—they’re skipping India entirely. Why? Because Free PoCs are draining their time, energy, and runway.

From Better Capital’s Vaibhav Domkundwar to founders of ToolJet, Track2win, and Kissan AI, the verdict is unanimous: Indian enterprises don’t pay. Startups are stuck in cycles of unpaid demos, “one more meeting” loops, and ghosting just before deals close.

This quiet rebellion has a name: The Skip India Movement. And it’s gaining momentum.

In the US, a paid PoC is a given. In India, it’s a maybe—if you’re lucky. Worse, some founders say their innovations are being reverse-engineered after extensive PoCs, with no commercial follow-through.

But not everyone’s giving up on India. Leaders like Aakrit Vaish and Ritesh Kumar still see potential—if Indian enterprises evolve. Paid pilot norms, procurement reform, and a founder-first mindset could turn India into a co-innovation lab, not a testing ground.

Because this isn’t just about startups—it’s about whether India will be a product nation or just a PoC pit stop.

Let’s break down why the smartest founders are saying: Skip India—and why that needs to change.

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