‘My GST application was rejected because officer expected…’: Entrepreneur claims she got zero support from system

Mahima Jalan, an entrepreneur, has hit out at the systemic hurdles she faced while trying to build a business, including alleged corruption during the GST registration process and difficulty receiving international payments. Her remarks came in response to Union Minister Piyush Goyal’s recent comments questioning the value being built by Indian startups.

“After finishing my Master’s in Journalism, I decided to start my own agency and create jobs instead of working for someone else. But soon after, I got a serious reality check,” Jalan wrote in a post on X. “My GST application was rejected, not due to any issue in paperwork, but because the officers expected an in-person visit, just so I could ‘settle’ things with them under the table.”

She also flagged challenges in processing international payments under existing RBI norms. “Even if a client pays you, the payment can get flagged, your account might get blocked, and you have to fight just to get your own money. And when you try to complain? No one gets back to you,” she said.

Jalan’s criticism was directed at the gap between ground realities and official rhetoric. “Yet the same ministers go on public platforms to say entrepreneurs aren’t building real value. It hurts. Not because building a business is hard, I signed up for that. But because when you’re trying to do something right, you’re met with red tape, bribes, and zero support from the very system that claims to champion entrepreneurship.”

Her post came shortly after Piyush Goyal took a dig at Indian startups for focusing on food delivery, betting, and fantasy apps instead of deep-tech innovation. “Do we have to make ice cream or chips? Dukaandari hi karna hai,” Goyal said, while comparing India’s startup ecosystem with China’s focus on EVs, semiconductors, and AI. “Only 1,000 startups in India’s deep-tech space is a disturbing situation,” he noted.

Responding to Jalan’s post, Capitalmind CEO Deepak Shenoy said, “This is now standard – a GST ‘in person’ visit so that your registration is processed. Hoping that Piyush Goyal, FM Sitharaman will be able to make even this registration ‘faceless’ and time bound so that our startups of all sorts can blossom.”

Shenoy also urged the government to ease norms for home-based businesses. “Please allow residential address for GST. Currently they just deny or put fines. Home-based businesses will be the future of the country, esp in the knowledge sector. Please allow it to happen.”