Rising unemployment and income disparity has shaken democracies across the Western world in the last year. Unemployment among young people in particular has been persistent and pervasive — the United States saw the highest ever youth unemployment in 2011, and…
University and business school entrepreneurship events and conferences in India tend to be clustered in the winter season. Participating in business plan competitions and panel discussions on startups and ventures is par for the course for most venture capitalists around…
When Dr. Venkatraman Ramakrishnan was announced as one of the winners for the Nobel Prize in Chemistry last year, the nation erupted in celebration. The president and prime minister formally acknowledged and congratulated Dr. Ramakrishnan’s achievement. The media went into…
Film-making is very similar to entrepreneurship. The role of a film producer is analogous to that of a venture capitalist. Good producers, like smart venture capitalists, know that it’s not just about writing a check and it’s not just about…
Venture capitalists add value to an enterprise at many levels and are not just financial investors. Good venture capitalists invest in smart entrepreneurs and big opportunities, and also bring to the table their network of relationships and connections. India is…
Part 1 – Much Ado About Nothing Fortunately, not all talented Indians leave the country or are content with working in a cushy job at a prestigious firm. Some of them are crazy enough to start their own companies. The…
Reading the business press in India can be much like reading a Shakespearean tragicomedy. I recently came across a news item that talked of the agriculture ministry’s efforts to set up two billion rupee poultry venture capital fund. According to…
The reports of the death of globalization have been greatly exaggerated, if investing trends in venture capital qualify as a compass for the future. According to a survey released June 10 by the U.S.-based National Venture Capital Association, half of…
Over the last decade, clean technology and nanotechnology have emerged as prominent investment themes in venture capital. According to New York-based research firm Lux Research, venture capital investment in cleantech and nanotech has grown at about 40% annually since 1997. Rapid advances…