The journey from , “I want to be a doctor/engineer when i grow up to i want to be an entrepreneur ” has been a really long one for a lot of people in a country like India but finally worth it. All it takes for someone to bring about a revolution or even a small change that impacts people is an idea. An idea that springs from the deepest layers of one’s creative psyche, an idea that recasts the existing patterns and most importantly, an idea that sells. From 3,100 startups in 2014 to a projection of more than 11,500 by 2020, this is certainly not a passing trend. It’s a revolution, a reformation and a revamp for the Indian economy. It will change the way the markets are working today in India.
From recharging your cellphone via Paytm to finding the most hip restaurant via Zomato, from getting food delivered at your doorstep via Swiggy to getting organic breakfast via Brekkies, from ordering a cab via OLA to booking tickets online via Redbus, from ordering books online via Flipkart to disposing old books via BuySellBooks, from searching a new home via NestAway to disposing old stuff via Priti International, from e-learning programs via ChalkStreet to e-mock tests by MockBank, startups are taking over our lives productively and making them convenient. I mean right from some cutting edge technologies to earning ‘cash from trash’ literally, startups are doing it all.
When it comes to the cities where the startups that get funded are based, Bangalore leads the charts with $2.43 billion. Investors in India are becoming experimental, yet extremely well-informed decision makers. NASSCOM has come up with an excellent initiative called “10,000 Startups”, which aims at scaling the startup environment in India by 10x. The program is supported by Microsoft, Google, Intel, Verisign, and Kotak. 10,000 Startups aims to enable incubation, funding and support for 10,000 startups in India over the next ten years.
Experts have begun to say that in the future, there will be no separate category called startups. All companies will be like startups because they will become the norm. The pace of innovation will become so fast that all companies will have to be agile and emulate startups. Not to sound political, but the Prime Minister of India recognizes the importance of start ups and has launched campaigns like ‘Make in India’ and ‘Startup India’ . So when the PM of India understands the importance and future of start ups in a young economy like India, so should a professional like me.