Ideas are buzzing and start-ups are abounding – India today has over 4200 startups. Consider this significant statistic – the year 2015 saw $9 billion infused into startups, which is the same as what was invested during the entire period between 2010-2014. Clearly, India is riding high on startup fever and the ball has been set rolling. We will see many dramas, bloodbaths, tragedies, flops and happy endings every year. If you think you have a great idea that you want to take to market, do consider these points before you take the plunge – it can save you some tense moments. As Guy Kawasaki, the Silicon Valley Venture Capitalist rightly said, “Ideas are easy. Implementation is hard.”
Its never too late to ‘intern’!
As I watched Robert De Niro spout insight after insight as an ‘int
ern’ to a stressed-out CEO (played by Anne Hathaway) on HBO recently, two thoughts struck me: one, do all young entrepreneurs go through the same state of mind? Two, it is astonishing what a readily deployable talent pool is available in the form of experienced older men and women!
The focus of this piece is on the vast pool of experienced men and women who have opted out of the employment system for various reasons. My point of view is that many of these would be willing to come back and share their experience with today’s professionals, given the right opportunity.
Role of Business In Empowering Women
“There is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women” – a powerful statement indeed from the former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.
While there is a lot of focus on gender and diversity in corporates, some organizations have actually walked the talk.
A recent visit to a premium clothing manufacturing corporate in Bangalore demonstrated how companies can actually create a highly productive and efficient work environment by designing a comprehensive employee strategy that included a sound hiring plan, employee engagement with focus on development and retention, and alignment of people with business objectives.
The New Age Startup Checklist
Imagine the scene in the startup sector in a couple of years from now. With the launch of ‘Start up India Stand up India’ program by the Government of India, startups have become the buzzword in the country once again. India has been generating entrepreneurs in this area for at least a decade now. But what was essentially a technology wave has evolved over the last few years with many young entrepreneurs testing out non-tech ideas such as health management, food and grocery aggregator platforms, home maintenance services, property services, and riding the new age e-commerce boom. And with high profile investors such as Ratan Tata and Narayana Murthy stoking up the excitement through their financial backing, startups are now firmly entrenched as the most happening sector in India.