CATEGORIES

Scale Stimulus

For technology start-ups, growth funding serves as the catalyst to scale, innovate, expand into new markets and make critical hires. New capital brings strategic value through investor expertise and industry network, customer introductions, helps maintain operational efficiency and mitigate cashflow challenges.The landscape of venture and growth financings in India has undergone a major shift since the pre-Covid era. The pandemic gave rise to a low-interest rate environment which saw an unprecedented inflow of capital into Indian start-ups with a very strong focus on high growth, often at the cost of high burn. Post-pandemic, the environment has seen a significant shift in focus towards sustainable growth, profitability and efficient unit economics.

The Best Valuation Need Not Be the Highest

Info Edge founder and veteran start-up investor Sanjeev Bikhchandani talks to Deepsekhar Choudhury about high valuations and corporate governance in start-ups. Edited excerpts

GCCS Shaping Start-Ups

The remarkable journey of global capability centres (GCCs) in India continues to set new benchmarks, enriching the nation's economic narrative.

Behind the Scenes

Evaluating start-ups is more than number crunching. While some factors are quantifiable, many are more nuanced. Here's a sneak peek inside the war room from where the rankings emerged

Start-Ups have Generated 17.28 Lakh Direct Jobs

Amardeep Singh Bhatia, secretary, department for promotion of industry and internal trade (DPIIT) tells Pushpita Dey about the government's various schemes to give start-ups a leg up.

On the Road Less Travelled

Our entrepreneurial journey as the founders of the CarDekho group proves the fact that ambition and ingenuity can flourish in the most unexpected places.

Being Local Matters

India's rapidly evolving consumer market, backed by a young, progressive population and a flourishing middle class, is a landscape of opportunity and complex challenges.

CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE: OUTLOOK BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT - ACHIEVERS AWARDS 2024

Recognizing Visionaries Who Inspire Growth, Innovation, and Progress

At the End of the Day, You Bet on Founders

Zerodha founder and chief executive Nithin Kamath tells Deepsekhar Choudhury that the philosophy of a company is what sets it apart and makes it special. Edited excerpts

Time to Go Global

India's defence and space start-up ecosystems have witnessed exponential growth in recent years, with over 1,000 defence and 250 space start-ups driving deep-tech innovation. Government initiatives such as Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), positive indigenisation lists and allocation of 75% of the defence capital budget for domestic procurement, along with support from Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (InSpace), have created vast opportunities.

AI will Replace Certain Jobs but Also Create New Ones

S Krishnan, secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) talks about R&D, funding and various schemes for start-ups, in an interview to Neeraj Thakur and Parth Singh.

Beyond the Big Idea

Most founder stories start with a Eureka moment—or that is what entrepreneurship folklore would have you believe.

Question of Culture

Even after more than four decades of its publishing, Tom Peters' In Search of Excellence continues to remain arguably the most influential business book ever. It was also the book that brought the notion of organisation culture to the centre stage. Amusingly, Peters draws a parallel between an organisation's culture and fairy tales.

Striding Ahead

Bengaluru anchors the Karnataka model of start-up growth. But the state is now looking beyond its capital city to nurture other Silicon Valleys

After the Euphoria

The abundance of capital that came with India's start-up boom has long subsided. It's time for a measured and mature approach

Direct To Consumer

These start-ups are rewriting the playbook for retail, offering everything from skin care to snacks with a promise of quality and personalisation

Govt Handholding StartUps, Not Micromanaging

Piyush Goyal, Union minister of commerce and industry talks about role of youth, incubation centres in non-metros and Centre's hands-off approach in an interview to Neeraj Thakur and Pushpita Dey.

From Chandni Chowk to Global Recognition

For Manish Aggarwal, director at Bikano, Bikanervala Foods, the family business was not just a responsibility but a passion he took to the global stage

Spotting AI Scams

Al has become an integral part of our lives, from customer service no insurance claims. But it is also becoming a tool for fraudsters who use it to scam individuals and corporations

Let a Hundred Flowers Bloom

On the banks of the Ganges in industrial Kanpur, a start-up has blossomed that turns waste flowers into incense

BATTERY LOW

India produces enough green energy to power many of its largest cities yet lacks the storage to use it efficiently. A nation blazing forward must leap ahead in battery technology to stay on course

We Have Everything Going for Rajasthan

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Rajasthan’s industry and commerce minister, tells Pushpita Dey why the state is suited to become a hub for investments.

Dairy and Other Dilemmas

India’s refusal to open its dairy market has complicated trade negotiations for years. As global partners demand concessions, is the cost of protectionism outweighing benefits?

Riding in a Maze

As gig workers ride into an uncertain future with little more than a smartphone and a bike, the government is struggling to arrange a socialsafety net. But millions without social security is recipe for disaster

BIRLA'S BIGGEST BATTLE

As Kumar Mangalam Birla completes 30 years at the helm of the Aditya Birla Group, he has a battle to defend his businesses and conquer new ones

THE INNOVATION LEAP

India dreams of becoming a product nation. But unless the corporate sector significantly increases spending on R&D, the country will continue to lag behind global peers

EDUCATION BUDGET MUST DOUBLE EVERY 3 YEARS

Veezhinathan Kamakoti, a renowned academic and director of Indian Institute of Technology Madras, tells Deepsekhar Choudhury on what technology sovereignty means for India and how it can propel the country towards its vision of becoming a developed nation by 2047.

WHY TECH SOVEREIGNTY IS IMPORTANT

Sovereignty basically implies the ability of the people of a country to be able to enforce their collective will on its resources and its destiny.

CHASING TECH SOVEREIGNTY

Pagers turn into bombs. Chips shatter freemarket dogmas. As tech becomes the new front of geopolitical conflict, India must strive to become a product nation

HOW TO MAKE INDIA A PRODUCT NATION

Over the past year, the phrase “India as a product nation” has leapfrogged into public discourse, appearing in manifestoes of political parties, and emerging as a policy priority for the government. To be a product nation, the economic ecosystem must shift from a focus on providing services that are relatively low value-added to making longer-term investments in brand building and product development.