Former Peak XV exec Shweta Rajpal Kohli to launch Startup Policy Forum

Former Peak XV executive and public policy expert Shweta Rajpal Kohli has launched Startup Policy Forum (SPF), an initiative to empower and boost the growth of the Indian startup ecosystem.

SPF is tentatively expected to launch on National Startup Day, January 16th, Kohli told YourStory.

The initiative aims to bring together founders, policymakers, and regulators to help bolster the government’s initiatives to support Indian startups.

“India has become one of the most attractive global hubs for innovation thanks to the government’s steadfast focus on catalysing the startup ecosystem and the macroeconomic stability provided by our world-class regulators. It’s a privilege to bring together a group of new-age nation-builders keen to engage in constructive collaboration with government and regulators and drive impactful change,” said Kohli, who is the President and CEO of the forum.

SPF will limit its members to 100 selected startups in its initial phase and has onboarded 30 startups as its members. These companies include fintech giants Razorpay, CRED, and Pine Labs, on-demand food and grocery delivery platform, Swiggy, and omnichannel retailer Bluestone.

The forum has also established four councils for sector-specific initiatives which include the Fintech Policy Council (FPC), Consumer and Commerce Council (CACC), Emerging Tech and AI Council (ETAC), and New-Age Public Companies Council (NPCC).

To help bridge the gap, SPF has hired a team of experts in public policy, legal affairs, taxation, policy research, communications, and marketing.

In a statement, Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry said, “Our startups are driving transformative change by democratising business and converting job seekers into job creators. We are glad to see many founders joining the Startup Policy Forum (SPF), which should reinforce India’s global leadership in the new-age economy. The forum should play a pivotal role in India’s journey to become Viksit Bharat by 2047 under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.”