SAP is organizing a Startup Focus Program, looking to partner with application product companies wherein SAP’s in-memory technology (HANA) can be utilized to create breakthrough performance advantage. They are looking to identify 15 companies in India, with whom SAP can collaboratively work to provide access to technology and expertise, and a potential chance to be […]
In50hrs is Back. Bigger and in a City Near You.
 In50hrs the flagship Idea-to-Prototype event of The Startup Centre, has taken on a new avatar, with its learnings from the past four editions that were conducted in its city of Origin – Chennai, Over the Year. From the demand that the team has been receiving, we are taking this event Platform to four different […]
Mobile Payments – where is the use case?
Techcrunch has an interesting article questioning the value proposition of mobile payments, especifically NFC in this case. Read here… Even in the Indian context, there have been multiple companies trying to push mobile payments over time, and a clear use case has been missing. Cash or swipe cards function fairly well for physical merchants. Some […]
Thoughts on book publishing industry
Note: Posted this on my blog the other day. Wanted to get opinion of a wider audience and hence posting it here. There has been a recent spurt in the number of writers. 4 out of 10 people I know are either writers or are aspiring to be one. And similarly, the spurt in homw […]
Winning a multi-innings game…
I’ve been spending some time with a friend who raised an Angel round late last year. Like all smart entrepreneurs, he raised sufficient funding to get him through the following 18 months. Now 6 months post funding, we sat down to take stock of the situation and plan for the future. Its no secret that […]
State of mobile retail
Cognizant has an interesting infographic on state of mobile retail availability. Summary – very disparate usage, with little by way of trends and whats working/whats not.
Walk down Silicon Alley…
Last week I had the opportunity to spend time with startups and tech companies in New York, aka Silicon Alley. The excitement in the startup and venture circles in the city was impressive. Previously where finance used to dominate all conversations, now its about ad tech, social/mobile and Pinterest clones. VC’s seems to around each corner – […]
How much revenue does it take to be a billion dollar company?
Techcrunch has a good article on the subject – in essence, emphasizing on quality of revenue. The mantra suggested is recurring revenue, low churn, high LTV and operating leverage. For consumer companies equally, the notion of high lifetime value, repeat behavior, and margin structure are the key. A CapitalIQ analysis shows a strong correlation of […]
Real stories of Startup Failure
Readwriteweb has a review of The Founder’s Dilemmas: Anticipating and Avoiding the Pitfalls That Can Sink a Startup . Based on extensive research of 10,000 startup founders, this book draws upon the reasons of successes and failures. Top reasons for failure – people issues, equity issues, and investor relations. Seems like a promising read.
India Expansion – Acquire & Manage Culture not just the Business
In recent months I have had the great opportunity to work  with organisations from around the world who have expanded their global footprint  through Joint Ventures/strategic Buyouts or Acquisitions.  I am happy to share, based on my experiences, some of the key elements/experiences which are important steps in business success in these types of situations […]
What’s NXT : Digital Content – Where is Money – 3rd April 2012,
Digital Content : What’s NXT – Where is Money Britannica closing down its print publication after 244 years to focus on online version!  The number of Internet users in India – estimated at around 140 million today – exceeds the number of TV sets in our homes. Facebook, with its 44 million Indian members reaches more of […]
Missing Link – the HR plan
Having managed HR departments for over 110 companies in last 5 years, I am amazed to see the consistent absence of comprehensive HR plan inside or even alongside the annual business plan. And this remains the top reason why goal alignments, reviews and resource agility remains perpetual challenge. Most managers end up reacting to situations […]