Skip India or Support India?

We have all heard of Quit India, Start-Up India and Make in India. But have you heard of the Skip India Movement? We were intrigued, and a little agitated by this phrase which was trending on social media. So, we decided to dive in.

What is the Skip India Movement?

Over the past few months, a growing number of Indian AI and deep-tech startups are deliberately "skipping India"—avoiding enterprise deals locally and instead focusing on foreign markets. This trend, grandly called the Skip India Movement, emerged from a shared frustration: Indian businesses ask for multiple free trials or PoCs, delay the purchase decision, and then just back out or undervalue the product.

At the core, is the realisation by some innovators that domestic customers often balk when it comes to signing paid contracts.

Buyer Behaviour triggering the Shift

The genesis of this ‘movement’, if one can call it that, is rooted in buyer habits that have long being a source of frustration among global and Indian SMEs. The most common manifestations of these are:

1. Treating innovation as a free trial: Expecting suppliers to not just build but also tweak products and prove value without any commitments or even a success criteria for PoCs.

2. Risk-averse decision-making: New offerings are ignored or sidelined in favour of internal or traditional suppliers.

3. Lack of strategic vision: No allocated budget or intention to scale pilot projects.

4. Ghosting: Sudden radio silence leaving the vendor wondering what happened.

5. Delays and default in Paying for Services: De-prioritising vendor payments causing unpredictable cash flow and frustration is virtually a business culture.

6. Optimising for the India market, missing the global opportunity: In some cases, focusing for the India market becomes a constraint in creating a world ready product and support process.

It is difficult to gauge how widespread this trend is other than on social media, but some startup publications believe it is not just a fad but a symptom of systemic issues and that the sentiment is powerful enough to drive strategic decisions away from the Indian market.

How can StartUps cope without Skipping?

• Strong anchor customers: Either directly or through their investors, establish fairer relationships involving senior stakeholders at customer organisations.

• Limit Customisation: Bespoke PoCs that don’t translate into substantial business, hurt the most.

• Insist on paid PoCs: Even if it is a small sum, getting approvals to make a payment ensures internal alignment within the buyer organisation before you spend resources in the hope of business

• Set the success criteria before a PoC: Insisting on documenting what the customer wants to test in a PoC environment helps set the book-ends, forces the buyer to evaluate your product more thoroughly upfront

• Expect some deals to fall off: B2B sales people have known this since forever. Not all serious sounding customers translate into an order. If you are winning 1 out of 3 to 5 qualified opportunities, you are doing well.

• Caste your net wider: Your best insurance against an unfair deal is a strong pipeline of prospects. Take the effort to reach out to a large portion of your target market, not just a handful.

• Communicate your brand proposition effectively: Whether targeting the Indian market or international, a great brand story communicated aptly to various stakeholders.

• Register as an MSME: Although weak in practice, there are regulations in place that protect registered MSMEs from bullying tactics by larger buyers. They are a good last resort, should things come to it.

  
  

The antithesis: Turning the tide

The movement could be reversed if India’s enterprises adjust their approach:

1. Pay for PoCs: Even small budgets signal seriousness and respect for startup effort .

2. Create innovation sandboxes: Internal frameworks where startups can test solutions with reduced red tape .

3. CIO/CTO mandates: Leadership KPIs tied to onboarding startups, not just established vendors .

4. Strategic partnerships: Offering equity or shared risk encourages genuine collaboration .

5. Government backing: Public agencies funding and piloting local innovation — like NPCI, ONDC, MeitY, etc. .

Conclusion

The Skip India Movement is a wake-up call. It's not about doubting India's talent—it's about addressing systemic neglect. For India to truly lead in AI and deep-tech, our enterprises must pay for innovation, streamline partnerships, and champion local startups, not merely celebrate their overseas success. At the same time, there are ways for startups to navigate the vast India opportunity without cross it out entirely.

Let’s convert the Skip India trend into a Support India moment—fostering an ecosystem where innovation is built and bought locally.