Naspers CEO Bob van Dijk on finding the right local entrepreneurs and backing them to do great things.
I am photogenic,” grins Bob van Dijk. That’s not the only reason the Naspers CEO isn’t too keen to spend too much time getting clicked (Forbes India got just two minutes for a photo shoot). The head of Africa’s most valuable company would rather use every minute available to scout for investment opportunities across the world. The South African internet giant has invested over $2 billion in the Indian startup ecosystem over the last few years—it has stakes in Swiggy and MakeMyTrip, and owns PayU and OLX. And it counts its stake in China’s Tencent as its most prized bet.
Naspers raised $9.8 billion in March by selling a 2 percent stake in Tencent, and netted another $1.6 billion profit from the sale of stake in Flipkart to Walmart in May. In spite of exiting Flipkart, Bob still gives the local ecommerce player an edge over American rival Amazon. “Local entrepreneurs, at times, can do things that others can’t do,” he argues, stressing on his love for Indian food as well. “I like making butter chicken and chicken tikka,” he says. In New Delhi to host a Naspers global summit, Bob spoke exclusively to Forbes India on a wide range of issues. Excerpts:
Q Naspers is a strategic investor. So what made you exit Flipkart?
It was not an easy choice for us to sell our shares in Flipkart. It’s a great company. We have been in Flipkart since its early days. When Sachin (Bansal) and his co-founder Binny (Bansal) started the company, there was no reliable logistics, people didn’t have methods to pay and there was little structured retail. So the persistence to get the company where it is today is a fantastic story. That’s what we are about as Naspers. We try to find amazing entrepreneurs in a market like this and then be with them in their amazing journey.
この記事は Forbes India の October 12, 2018 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は Forbes India の October 12, 2018 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
Home-Cooked Meal Is Now Greatly Valued
The pandemic has also brought with it an improved focus on hygiene, use of technology in dining, rise of cloud kitchens and resurgence in popularity of Indian ingredients
Paytm 3.0 - Reaching Near Breakeven In Two Years
As of 2020, Vijay Shekhar Sharma’s super app for financial services had run up losses in thousands of crores. Now, as digital payments gets yet another boost courtesy Covid-19, he’s hopeful of reaching near breakeven in two years
THE PANDEMIC HAS CAUSED WOMEN GREATER LABOUR PAIN
Covid-19 has shown that women are more likely to face the brunt of job losses than men, and find fewer opportunities when they want to resume. That apart, several have to deal with increased hours of unpaid work at home and even domestic abuse
LEADERSHIP WILL BE ABOUT SEEING THE BIGGER PICTURE
Leaders must not only guard their teams first during a crisis, but also deal with stakeholders with respect and dignity. And apart from pursuing business goals, they should remain committed to our planet and the environment
PHILANTHROPY SHOULD BE HUMBLE, BUT NOT MODEST
Apart from building a flexible and resilient framework for the future, philanthropists, civil society and the government must work in tandem so that every rupee is absorbed on the ground
INTEGRATED HEALTH CARE, TECH WILL DISRUPT SECTOR
While clinical research will get a boost, having a skilled workforce and public spending on health care will be challenges in the near term
DIGITALISATION WILL HELP IN VALUE CREATION
As the pandemic brings technology and innovation to the core of business and daily life, the next decade will see about 150 million digital-first families in India
Industry 4.0: Climate Revolution?
Augmenting sustainability alongside digital capabilities is an economic, competitive and global opportunity for India’s businesses, but regulations need to reflect intent
EV Dream Still Miles Away
Electric vehicles have remained a buzzword in India for years. But not much has moved on ground due to high upfront costs, range anxiety and charging infrastructure
Living Waters
A virus has caused us to scramble for oxygen but our chokehold on the environment is slowly strangling the very waters that breathe life into us. The virus is a timely reminder: We are merely consumers, not producers of life’s breath on this planet
