The Central Government is set to launch a new service on 21st April, called ‘Twitter Seva’, that will address various queries of startups in India within 24 hours. This time-bound help service will be launched to support the budding entrepreneurs of the country.
“Any startup which wants to access government irrespective of any department can (put their queries). The process is on. We would have a place where you can virtually contact us, tell us your issues. We have a team that will divert the things or issues to the particular ministry and then come back to you and try to reply in 24 hrs,” said, Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
The announcement was made when Sitharaman was in an interactive session with over 70 startup firms on Monday. She heard their issues and responded to their queries in this hour-long session. Start-ups which participated in the session include Velmenni Lifi, Fitternity, Glance, DeliveryTrack, FoodTalk, Chakar, BabyBug Step and Marketing Masala.
Sitharaman said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also be meeting up with the entrepreneurs coming January as a part of follow-up of the action plan announced.
“Getting a feel, get inputs from you. We want the inputs to keep coming from you. I assure you that I will go back and come with responses. We will do course correction if required. We are here as a facilitator,” she added.
Addressing a question on funding, she said, “Liquidity crunch today is not only affecting startups but commercial activity as a whole. The Finance Minister and the RBI are sensitive to the issue.”
Assuring that she would try to lessen the formalities concerning startups, Sitharaman said, “I would speak with the ministry and try to work on reducing the number of approvals and clearances required for setting up a startup. I am also accessible, and you can come and meet me.”
The Finance Ministry will facilitate the registration process.
“We have to work together. Tell me what specific things you want. Give us suggestions and do not sit with questions. Startup community should help in the creation of yellow pages of various innovative products/solutions. This could be taken up by relevant government agencies as and when required. Post the second half of the Budget session, we will be interacting with the co-working spaces,” she said.
She also stated that she will look into the issue of creating a cyber-security ecosystem with the IT and Telecommunications Minister.“We will try so that you do not have to run from one pillar to another,” she said.
