All Posts in Entrepreneurship

|In: Fintech|Last Updated: | 0 Comments

The accelerator programme in partnership with US Consulate General, Hyderabad; Department of Science and Technology, Government of India and BASIX Sub-K, seeks to support ten growth stage start-ups providing lending, payment and insurance solutions with focus on agriculture, healthcare and energy sectors.

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The unique offerings of this accelerator are access to research and insightful data at ISB and an opportunity to co-innovate with established ventures and organizations.  The Knowledge and Investor Partners will come together to support the selected startups to identify their challenges and provide complementary strengths to scale operations.

ISB is inviting applications from startups to pitch their ventures in the following categories

  • Scale – Early stage startups with solutions in lending, payment and insurance, seeking to accelerate/scale their solution/product to the next level.
  • Co-Innovate – Startups willing to expand or pivot their agritech, healthcare, fintech or energy solution to provide alternate banking solutions by partnering with a well-established organization.

The selected startups will be provided with mentorship, advisory and networking opportunities to meet each of their respective business goals through February 2019 to June 2019.

Interested start-ups can apply at envision.isb.edu. Last date for application – December 15, 2018. For more details about the Envision programme and selection criteria, you can email the team at envision@isb.edu or call (040) 23187032

About DLabs

DLabs is the incubation and acceleration arm of Indian School of Business set up in collaboration with the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. It aims to support the creation of a vibrant and high impact entrepreneurial ecosystem focused on innovation in key sectors including technology commercialization. DLabs leverages the vast resources, expertise and networks of the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at ISB through mentorship, education and investor connect.

|In: Entrepreneurship|Last Updated: | 0 Comments

ACT Fibernet [Atria Convergence Technologies Ltd.] India’s largest fiber-focused wired broadband ISP (Source: India Broadband Market Overview – 2017 dated February 19, 2018, prepared by Media Partners Asia) has entered into an agreement with the Government of Karnataka to provide the startups registered with the start-up cell with high speed broadband connectivity.

ACT Fibernet, a home-grown start-up of Bengaluru, which has now grown into India’s largest Fiber broadband ISP, deeply understands the support and enablement startups need during their early growth phase. As a step to boost their growth and to support Karnataka government’s startup initiative, ACT Fibernet will extend its best fiber optic technology to all the registered startups of the government’s startup cell. Further, ACT Fibernet will provide complimentary broadband connectivity to government incubation center and GIGA speed [1000 Mbps] connections at a 60% discounted rate to all the registered startups.

Speaking on the partnership, K. J. George, Hon’ble Minister for IT and BT, Science and Technology, Govt. Of Karnataka added

Bengaluru is the startup capital of India, and we have been strongly nurturing the startup ecosystem with policies and initiatives to help entrepreneurs and established industries flourish. I am extremely pleased that ACT Fibernet has come forward to extend their support and connect our startups with high speed broadband connectivity. This move will certainly help us build a more conducive environment for our startups to grow.

Bala Malladi, CEO, ACT Fibernet Ltd, said

As a Bengaluru based company it is a moment of pride for us to collaborate with the Government of Karnataka. This is a one of a kind opportunity and we will work in conjunction with the government towards building and strengthening the start-up ecosystem in the city. It is our commitment to provide the best internet services to the startups and incubators and help them stay connected seamlessly.

Mr. Gaurav Gupta, Principal Secretary, IT, BT and S&T – Govt. of Karnataka, said

When we speak about startups, Bengaluru holds the top position in the country, and to retain this momentum we make continuous effort to introduce policies and programs suiting their requirements. Our partnership with ACT Fibernet is yet another step to empower the startups and help them grow in our state.

About ACT Fibernet

ACT Fibernet, India’s largest fiber-focused wired broadband ISP as on September 30, 2017 (in terms of number of fiber broadband internet subscribers from residential homes) (Source: India Broadband Market Overview – 2017 dated February 19, 2018, prepared by Media Partners Asia). Headquartered in Bangalore, ACT Fibernet has operations in 15 Indian cities as on December 31, 2017 with approximately 1.3 million customers.

|In: Entrepreneurship|Last Updated: | 0 Comments

NSRCEL the startup hub at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore has incubated over 225 startups, created over 5400 direct jobs and associated with roughly 46,000 entrepreneurs. Its ventures have a total portfolio of over $1.5 billion. As NSRCEL readies itself for the future its new logo and website reflects its transition, scale and trajectory of growth.

The increased scale & scope of operations include NSRCEL preparing to mentor 4000 entrepreneurs, to launch 3-5 new programs supported by industry partners and to incubate 200 new ventures. The new logo and website mirrors the centre’s value system of being an open incubator, sector agnostic, agile and flexible. It has been running incubation programs for women, social sector, engineering students within and outside the IIMB community. It has been successful in bringing together innovators, academicians and industry giants to create a real-world impact in the entrepreneurial community.

Sharing NSRCEL’s future plans at the launch of the new logo and website of NSRCEL, here on campus today, the NSRCEL Chair and faculty from the Entrepreneurship area at IIMB, Prof. Suresh Bhagavatula, said

Success stories are important, but impact made on society is more significant. Future businesses must have a commitment to the environment. India has so many social challenges. That is why NSRCEL encourages social and women entrepreneurship. We are the first incubator in the country to have started incubating social impact ventures, and we hope to build on all these positives in the coming year.

In 2017, NSRCEL was selected by NITI Aayog’s Atal innovation Mission as one among the top 10 incubators in India. It partners with government bodies, global corporations and foundations for it programs. In 2018, Department of Science & Technology, Government of India [DST] also joined in to support its initiatives.

The India Innovation Design Challenge [IIDC] was launched with Texas Instruments for engineering students. Women Startup Program [WSP] with support from Goldman Sachs and the DST, and the social venture incubation program with support from the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, the Mphasis Foundation, and the Ford Foundation.

The centre has on board a panel of over 50 mentors that include entrepreneurs, IIMB alumni, academicians, investors and industry veterans. Private equity, venture capital funding and government support has led to the growth of a number of start-ups making Bengaluru the startup capital of India. Capitalizing on this opportunity the scale and scope of NSRCEL’s operations has also grown exponentially.

Rajiv Sawhney, Chief Operating Officer of NSRCEL, said

An idea is at the centre of everything at NSRCEL. Every person that walks through the door with an idea will be assessed on two parameters – willingness and ability. At NSRCEL, we believe that these two aren’t mutually exclusive. If you have the willingness and the passion, with a gentle nudge, you can learn skill and ability. Our job is to focus on helping every venture, that incubates with us, take the next logical step.

The well-known startups that began their journey at NSRCEL include global private equity (PE) major KKR backed Amagi, Mango Technologies that was acquired by Qualcomm, One Click that got sold to Freshdesk, among many others. The centre is betting on the success of some of its newer ventures that include Milaap, Vsnapu, Settlrs, Automoville, GoDesi, Tenexer, Zoojoo.be

With plenty of plans in store, NSRCEL will work with entrepreneurs to help them build successful business models. It is also looking to add its network of mentors, partners and build an ecosystem for ventures.

|In: startups|Last Updated: | 0 Comments

Airbus subsidiaries NAVBLUE and Aerial have signed contracts with three Indian startups, accelerated at Airbus Bizlab India, to power cutting-edge technologies that will help usher in new industry benchmarks in aeronautical data services, flight operations and imagery services.

Image Source – AirBus

NAVBLUE signed up Bengaluru-based Stelae Technologies to enhance aeronautical data services quality and consistency while enabling faster introduction to the market of the next generation fully data-driven and connected EFB [Electronic Flight Bag] solution. NAVBLUE also extended its agreement with EFlight with the aim of providing a comprehensive service solution to the Indian business aviation market.

The third agreement was signed between Airbus Aerial and Navi Mumbai-based Airpix for a joint go-to market in India to provide geo-analytic solutions and imagery services in the country. The agreements mark the successful culmination of Season 3 of Airbus BizLab’s start-up acceleration programme TAKE OFF 2018, which seeks to bolster the Indian government’s ‘Make in India’ and Startup India initiatives. The latest partnerships are in addition to those that Airbus signed with Bengaluru based start-ups – Neewee and EFlight in February 2018.

Bruno Gutierres, Global Head, Airbus BizLab, said

For the last couple of years I have been convinced with the potential and the quality of entrepreneurs in India. I am pleased to see that all these partnerships between Airbus and Indian startups are proving me right.

Bizlab is a part of Airbus’ innovative strategy to bring together start-ups and Airbus intrapreneurs to work and speed up the transformation of their innovative ideas into valuable businesses. It has a community of over 2000 B2B start-ups from India, South East Asia and Israel. Through its six-month acceleration programme for start-ups and internal projects, Airbus Bizlab gives access to a large number of coaches, experts and mentors in various domains that help start-ups and internal projects speed-up the transformation of their ideas into valuable businesses.

As part of the TAKE OFF programme, Airbus BizLab will sponsor two travels to Europe for Indian start-ups in a period of six months as well as fund up to 50,000 Euros to them for the demonstration of proof of concept.

Fabrice Villaumé, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer at NAVBLUE, said

NAVBLUE believes in India’s potential for multiple reasons. One is India’s proven capacity for innovation within the IT sector, which is demonstrated perfectly by the start-ups present at the Airbus’ BizLab, with whom we work very closely. Another is the potential of the aerospace industry; India has the world’s fastest-growing domestic airline market.

We are very excited to work with startups and SMEs in India to help power this growth, and bring value to the Indian aviation industry with our integrated solutions.

About Airbus Aerial

Airbus Aerial focuses on developing new imagery services. These services leverage the best software and aerospace technology from across the globe to offer actionable data and analysis of information provided by drones, satellites, high altitude aircraft and other sources

About NAVBLUE and N-Flight Planning

NAVBLUE is an integrated Flight Operations and Air Traffic Management Services company providing end-to-end, innovative and integrated flight operations solutions for a wide-range of customers around the world. NAVBLUE’s flight planning system, N-Flight Planning, is well renowned for its adaptability to each customer’s specific needs. It enables a number of flight operation benefits and reduced operating costs through increased flight plan accuracy, dynamic route construction and higher productivity of dispatchers and flight planners. NAVBLUE’s N-Flight Planning also offers superior route optimization results, with integrated avoidance of in-flight hazards, such as forecast turbulence and icing.

|In: Education|Last Updated: | 0 Comments

With a motto ‘The world needs science and science needs women’, L’Oréal India is inviting applications from women students who have completed class XII in India for the 16th edition of its For Young Women in Science Scholarship [FYWIS] Programme. L’Oréal India will award scholarships worth Rs. 2.5 Lakhs each to 50 promising but economically disadvantaged young women to help them complete their graduation in any scientific field from a recognized college/university in India.

Image Source – L’Oréal

Recognizing the importance of women in science, Snehhal Chitneni, Chief- Communications, Sustainability & Public Affairs at L’Oréal India said

L’Oréal strongly believes that science is the source of progress, and the contribution of women is vital. Our For Young Women in Science scholarship aims to provide aid and encouragement to young women who want to pursue an education and a career in science, but lack the means to do so. Entering our 16th year, we hope to reach out to many such deserving candidates in the future.

Since its inception in 2003, L’Oreal India has given over 300 scholarships to girls across India. This programme forms a stepping stone for these young talented women to follow their dreams and aspirations and make a remarkable progress in their overall development.

The L’Oréal India ‘For Young Women in Science’ Scholarship Programme is an extension of the international L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science partnership. Last year, the Programme received more than 3000 entries from across the country. After a detailed evaluation process, 50 scholarships were awarded to the most deserving candidates

Eligibility criteria – Young women who have passed class XII exams from across India in the current academic year [ended March 2018], with a minimum of 85% in PCM/PCB and not over 19 years of age as on 31/05/2018, are eligible to apply for this scholarship.

This scholarship is open for study in any field of science: medicine, engineering, information technology, pharmacy, biotechnology, and other graduate courses pertaining to science [B.Sc.].

How to apply – Students can apply online here  OR download application forms from the website and courier them to L’Oréal India Scholarship Cell, C/O Buddy4Study, Stellar IT Park C-25, No.8,9 & 10 Tower-I, Ground floor, Sector-62, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India 201301.

Deadline for submitting forms along with the relevant documents 16th July 2018.

Interview locations – Mumbai, Gurgaon, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Kolkata

|In: Entrepreneurship|Last Updated: | 0 Comments

The fifth India International MSME Start Up Expo witnessed encouraging sessions for the young innovators by experts focusing on innovation, reformation and transformation at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. The key speakers at the event included Minister of State, Department of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution Shri CR Chaudhary, Chairman ITDC, UAE Shri SK Aggarwal, Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Chairman Stic Travels Shri Subhash Goyal and many others.

The three-day event starting June 22-24, 2018 was spearhead by the MSME Development Forum, a not for profit organization, which has been at the forefront of growth and promotion of small businesses with a thrust on start-ups towards building entrepreneurs in India. The Forum works as a catalyst for interface between government and entrepreneurial activities and has been relentlessly working towards developing an entrepreneurial culture in the country.

Addressing the event, Minister of State, Department of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution – Shri CR Chaudhary, emphasised on encouraging young entrepreneurs, said

There is a need of more employment and export in the country. Employment is generated by new setups. Young people have new innovative ideas. In fact, more than 60% of stalls have been taken by young innovators country need. Even as per our Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, youth should be encouraged to an entrepreneur. One must become service provider not service seeker. Thus, SMEs should be given more assistance and support. Only then the moto – ‘Perform, Reform and Transform’ will happen. People of Delhi and nearby areas should come and take advantage of the expo and should encourage new innovators.

Discussing about agriculture sector, Ministry of Agriculture – Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said

The two major problems of our agriculture sector are fragmentation of land and high pressure on resources. There is no capacity building in agriculture sector. MSME is the only way to revive the sector in India. The holistic solutions provided by the government have helped in improving the sector but to sustain it we need MSME involvement to take it further and this will help in doubling the income of the farmer.

Rajnish Goenka, Chairman, MSME – DF said

We are aiming to make India as World’s manufacturer and sourcing hub alternative to China. Importantly, we have also tried to create a political will among political parties to acknowledge this movement.

There were various topics covered in the on-going expo in different sessions that is Innovative Financing & Founding Opportunities for MSMEs & Startups, MSME in Tourism, Logistics & Service sector, Vendor Development in Railways, Defense & Govt/PSUs and Agri Business: Doubling Farmer’s income.

The agenda of the exposition is to promote entrepreneurship & self-employment to generate maximum job opportunities. The event will also provide one stop global platform to connect, network, partner and share information with Domestic & International SMEs to find new business opportunities in either country. The expo also aims to spread awareness about Government’s promotional schemes to make new Entrepreneur and transform job seekers to job creators. It accelerates growth of MSMES, Startups and Budding entrepreneur. In addition, it focuses to bring Small Entrepreneurs on a single platform and address their persistent issue and concerns. The agenda will also target to be the leading MSME Startup Advocacy Forum.

The event witnesses more than 20,000 visitors, 250 exhibitors, 100 B2G/B2B Meetings, 50 Embassies & Global Participants, 30 banks and investors, 15 PSUs-Government Departments and 10 concurrent summits.

|In: Entrepreneurship|Last Updated: | 0 Comments

H2, the premier global leadership network for the technology industry, and Google for Entrepreneurs announced a new global partnership, bringing together the worldwide networks and resources for technology leaders. The partnership aims to connect and support technology leaders in innovation centres globally.

Image Source – Google For Entrepreneurs

Nayan Patel, Founder & CEO of H2, said

H2’s mission and programs center’s on the core themes of connections, learning and support. Our global partnership with Google for Entrepreneurs amplifies these themes and builds valuable connectivity for H2 to the best of Google’s resources around the world. We are excited to be partnering closely across our programs to continue scaling H2’s reach and impact on a global level.

H2 also announced the launch of H2 Innovate, a new program that offers fast-growing startups scaling in large global markets access to advice, capital and connections across the H2 network. The program provides participating companies referred by H2’s partners curated and targeted access to industry leaders and domain experts from H2’s member community as well as connections to H2’s partner network.

Participating launch partners for H2 Innovate include Google for Entrepreneurs, Silicon Valley Bank, Accel Partners, Cooley, Endeavor, 500 Startups, Golden Gate Ventures, GSF Accelerator, Kalaari Capital, Naspers Ventures, Seedcamp, SOSV and White Star Capital. Initial participating startups across Asia, Europe and Latin America include DataStreamX, Fleksy, IDwall and YEAY.

Genna McKeel, Head of Global Partnerships at Google for Entrepreneurs, said

At Google, we know that innovation is thriving across the world and not just in Silicon Valley. H2 shares this global mindset and has shown how bringing industry leaders together in innovation centers globally can have a real impact.  We are excited to welcome H2 into the Google for Entrepreneurs partner network and to work together to build connections between entrepreneurs and experienced  leaders in startup communities across the globe.

Oliver Plante, CEO of Fleksy, said

Our early participation in H2 Innovate has led to a number of valuable connections and targeted insights for our business. We are excited to continue our engagement in the program through its launch and as we continue scaling up over the period ahead.

H2 will be hosting its sixth annual Global Summit on October 11th at Google’s offices in San Francisco, bringing together executives, entrepreneurs and investors from leading companies and industry organizations in innovation hubs around the world. Designed as a senior level, invitation only event, the Summit offers participants a unique platform to engage in dynamic and open discussions covering leading technology trends and industry insights from Silicon Valley and across the globe.

Swati Bhargava, Chapter Co-Chair of H2 India, said

Our partnership with Google for Entrepreneurs connects H2’s community to Google’s industry-leading resources and extends the reach of our programs to support technology leaders across the globe. We look forward to our collaborations over the period ahead in support of growth activities for our India Chapter and across the H2 network worldwide.

Neeraj Roy, Chapter Co-Chair of H2 India, said

Access to the right industry advisors and operating expertise is key to fuelling startup growth. We are excited to launch H2 Innovate in partnership with Google for Entrepreneurs and other leading partners, providing participating startups access to H2’s qualified community of industry leaders and resources at a global level.

H2’s global member community consists of technology leaders from leading startups and top global firms including 99, Amazon, Apple, Carousell, CMUNE, Dropbox, Facebook, Freshworks, Etsy, Gengo, Google, HelloFresh, Justfab, LinkedIn, Lyft, MyHeritage, PopXO, People Group, PropertyGuru, Qunar, Slack, Spotify, Strava, Twitter, Ubimo and Wego among others across leading innovations centers globally.

|In: Entrepreneurship|Last Updated: | 0 Comments

ALC India, has announced the second Batch for ‘Transforming India Initiative’ [TII], a unique 2-year social entrepreneurship programme. The programme is open for anyone with a graduate degree: Start-up enthusiasts, Corporate professionals who nurture entrepreneurial aspirations and Young professionals who want to make an impact for the country.

The 2-year programme has been designed to give in-depth entrepreneurial experience and practical knowledge of how to run a social venture before the candidates start their own ventures. After completion of the programme, each individual will receive incubation and funding support for a period of 6 years to set up a profitable social enterprise. TII is supported by the NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission and is offered in partnership with the prestigious Institute of Rural Management Anand [IRMA].

The first batch of the program witnessed enthusiastic response from 418 candidates from across India. ALC India selected 10 candidates after much deliberation and with a rigorous screening process. The current batch includes people who were earlier working in eminent corporates, start-up founders, educational and environmental enthusiast, etc. and wanted to start up their own enterprise that would tackle pressing social concerns.

ALC India is a 12-year old social enterprise that has been incubating companies belonging to the economically marginalized. Last year, it was recognized by the NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission as an established incubation centre and received scale-up support of INR 10 crores to incubate social enterprises, including support to the Transforming India Initiative [TII].

Since, its inception in 2005, ALC India has impacted 65,000 households in 17 States through 300 Projects. The organization has helped people in the unorganized sector build sustainable livelihoods and double their incomes. ALC India helps incubate enterprises that the communities own – typically cooperatives or producer companies and develops their technical, managerial and entrepreneurial skills, as they move up in the value chain from just being a producer to an entrepreneur.

Speaking about the success of Transforming India Initiative, Krishnagopal Grandhi, CEO, ALC India said

In the current economic scenario, entrepreneurs are key to job creation, at the same time they need to evolve solutions that can address the most pressing challenges facing the country today. With the Transforming India Initiative, we are looking for talented youngsters who have the passion and grit to become social entrepreneurs. We will support them with not just education and practical understanding but also with incubation support to set up their enterprises after completing the programme.

USPs of the Transformation India Initiative [TII]

TII is a comprehensive 2-year programme that will equip the fellows to establish profitable social enterprises. Setting it apart from other academic and incubation programmes, TII is designed to enable the fellow students to first understand the developmental challenges of the country. It enables you to develop an entrepreneurial solution, test and evolve the design and establish an enduring enterprise rather than expect to have an innovative idea at the beginning of the programme itself. TII’s uniqueness lies in the integration of academics & incubation. Some of its notable USPs are:

  • 6-month facilitated learning module certified by the Institute of Rural Management, Anand [IRMA], including practitioner interactions and reflection workshops
  • 18-month experiential learning module certified by the Development Management Institute Patna, where the fellows will work directly with the founders of social enterprises
  • End-to-end incubation support, including seed funding for setting up an enterprise for select entrepreneurs, as decided on merit by the independent committee, will receive a financial grant totaling INR 30 Lakhs as seed fund for their social ventures
  • Each individual will be placed with an enterprise in their preferred sector and be paired with a successful social entrepreneur as a mentor who is aligned to their interests and aspirations.
  • Fellows will be placed with an already existing social enterprise, where they will work directly with the CEO to solve five key organizational challenges and accelerate the enterprise growth.
  • ALC India provides access to seed fund of INR 40 Crores, Incubation Space of 20,000 sq.ft, over 30 Industry Experts, and 350 partners for the initiative.

Who is it for?

The first cohort had individuals coming from across India with different background and experiences: Corporate professionals, Fresh graduates, Start-up founders, Educational and Environmental enthusiast.

A graduate degree is a minimum requirement to apply for the programme. Graduates from any discipline or professionals with work experience are eligible to apply for this programme. Interested people of any age group are encouraged to apply and their experience will be taken into account when they are placed with an enterprise during the experiential learning module.

The Pioneering Cohort [2017 Batch]

The pioneering cohort of 10 individuals joined Transforming India Initiative’s Social Entrepreneurship Programme in October 2017. The cohort comes from the age group of 21 – 29 years from across India with diverse interest in the social space: Education, Health, finance, Agriculture, Livelihoods & Policy. Over the course, they have developed skills, mindsets and knowledge required to lead and establish a responsible social-enterprise.

Application Process

Each applicant will go through a four-step process that involves Online Application, Psychometric & Aptitude Test, Telephonic Interview and a 2-day direct Assessment. Interested candidates can know more about the programme and apply, on or before April 26th 2018 by visiting ACL TII Website. For any queries, they can send an email to TII Admissions.

About ALC India

ALC India is a Hyderabad-based social enterprise established in 2005 to work with economically marginalised communities who battle great odds to eke out fragile livelihoods. To such producers, ALC offer professional services that they can use to turn the odds in their favour and build livelihoods that are more certain, rewarding, and sustainable. The enterprises incubated of women farmers, tribals and weavers have together done business of more than Rs. 70 crores in the last few years, employing more than 80 rural youth and supporting the livelihoods of more than 21,000 women.