tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77516824481168843242024-02-06T18:32:09.199-08:00StartupUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7751682448116884324.post-19903485582053209882015-08-18T12:12:00.001-07:002015-08-18T12:13:46.519-07:00Incorporate a Startup Company Gurgaon/Noida/Delhi CSGAURAV +919990694230<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India28.5355161 77.39102649999995328.312280599999998 77.068302999999958 28.7587516 77.713749999999948tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7751682448116884324.post-19359779139429548892015-08-18T12:10:00.001-07:002015-08-18T12:13:56.553-07:00Startup helpline Gurgaon/Noida/Delhi csgurav +919990694230<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Gurgaon, Haryana, India28.4594965 77.02663830000005928.236067 76.703914800000064 28.682926000000002 77.349361800000054tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7751682448116884324.post-61373449779781829672015-04-29T00:26:00.001-07:002015-04-29T00:26:17.232-07:00Tech Startups Eye Potential of Local SMEs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Indian technology startups that cater to small businesses across the world are waking up to the potential at home, using mobile apps to tap the country's numerous small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with offerings in areas such as search-engine optimisation and analytics.Proliferation of smartphones in India has made it possible for startups such as Nowfloats, Whatfix and Zoho, which count the US as their primary market, to gain a foothold in the largely untapped domestic SME sector through mobile applications, offering these firms basic features for free with an aim to turn them into paying cus tomers once they are hooked.<br />
“We started with a search-en gine optimisa tion tool for SMEs but real ised that if they didn't imple ment our sug gestions, there were no results. That's when we made our first tool to handhold SMEs for implementing this and it evolved into a different suite,“ said Khadim Bhatti, cofounder and chief executive of two-year-old startup Whatfix, which makes interactive how-to guides for the Web.<br />
The company, which recently raised `. 5.5 crore from Helion Ventures, sees about 10% of its free users eventually pay for its analytics-enabled models.<br />
Small businesses in India will look to spend ` . 71,300 crore on IT, especially in social media, mobile, analytics and cloud, offered as cloud-based freemium models, with options for running on mobile and pay per use, according to Zinnov research.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0India20.593684 78.962880000000041-8.5806465 37.654286000000042 49.7680145 120.27147400000004tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7751682448116884324.post-73895562420158817872015-04-22T01:12:00.001-07:002015-04-22T01:47:56.676-07:00startupguide<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7751682448116884324.post-37292585230868244082015-03-18T05:30:00.000-07:002015-03-18T05:30:00.862-07:00#E-Commerce Platforms and #Service tax involved<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1. INTRODUCTION</span></strong></div>
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There has been so much euphoria with regard to Indian E-commerce story and is on track to become the world’s fastest growing e-commerce market. This growth story is being driven by robust investment activity by VCs, Angels and the rapid increase in internet users. Internet users in India have gone up from 50 million in 2007 to 300 million in 2014. As per Morgan Stanley, size of the Indian internet market is expected to rise from $11 billion in 2013 to $137 billion by 2020 and market capitalization of these internet businesses could touch $160-200 billion from the $4 billion at present. <span id="more-65975" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><a href="http://i1.wp.com/taxguru.in/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/online-retail-sales.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="online retail sales" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-65976" height="396" src="http://i0.wp.com/taxguru.in/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/online-retail-sales.jpg?resize=565%2C396" style="border: 1px solid rgb(199, 199, 198); display: block; margin: 0px auto 5px; padding: 5px;" width="565" /></a>Let’s understand various e-commerce models from the indirect Tax perspective:-</span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">I) <strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">SUPPLY OF GOODS</strong></span></div>
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E-commerce Platforms have entered into Memorandum of Understanding with seller to promote the business of seller. This type of business has several models and service tax to be levied accordingly. Following models have been explained herein.</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">A) Direct Supply from Seller to Customer</strong></div>
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Seller have own website for soliciting their business and not relying on online aggregators like Flipkart, Amazon, Snapdeal for listing of goods. In this case, VAT shall be charged by seller in case of intrastate transaction and CST in case of inter-state movement of goods.</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">EXAMPLE</strong></div>
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Mr Karan orders a Service book from the Website poojalawhouse.com. Online website shall be maintained by the seller Pooja law House. The invoice of the Book would generate by the Pooja Law which shall levy VAT on the product sold which will look something like this:</div>
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<span style="color: black;"><a href="http://i1.wp.com/taxguru.in/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/RETAIL2.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="RETAIL2" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-65977" height="290" src="http://i0.wp.com/taxguru.in/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/RETAIL2.jpg?resize=565%2C290" style="border: 1px solid rgb(199, 199, 198); display: block; margin: 0px auto 5px; padding: 5px;" width="565" /></a><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">II) Supply from Seller to Customer via online Intermediary/Aggregators</strong></span></span></div>
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Products of sellers are listed on websites like Flipkart, Amazon, Snapdeal who have entered into MOU with ecommerce Platforms. These orders are in turn given to the Seller for delivery of the goods. Seller shall make the invoice and deliever the same to customer directly. Invoice shall contain name of the company/firm, Reg. Address, TIN/CST no. etc. In present case only, Interface is being provided by the online portal.<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline;"><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /></span></strong></div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">Example:</span></strong></div>
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Mr Gaurav Agarwal orders iPhone 4s from the Online Website Snapdeal.com. Snapdeal will book order on the behalf of the Seller named WS Retailer. So, Snapdeal will contact with the WS Retailer to deliver the goods to the customer. The seller shall levy VAT on the goods sold by seller which shall look something like this:</div>
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<span style="color: black;"><a href="http://i1.wp.com/taxguru.in/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/WS-Retail.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="WS Retail" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-65978" height="295" src="http://i1.wp.com/taxguru.in/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/WS-Retail.jpg?resize=565%2C295" style="border: 1px solid rgb(199, 199, 198); display: block; margin: 0px auto 5px; padding: 5px;" width="565" /></a>Now these online portals Flipkart, Snapdeal etc. shall generate an invoice of such services like Booking, Commission, Courier, Shipping charges etc. in the name of Seller, as these charges are covered under the definition of taxable services as per the provisions of Finance Act, 1994. In continuation of above example, Snapdeal will generate an invoice and service tax to be charged which will look something like this:</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><a href="http://i2.wp.com/taxguru.in/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/snapdeal.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="snapdeal" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-65979" height="308" src="http://i0.wp.com/taxguru.in/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/snapdeal.jpg?resize=565%2C308" style="border: 1px solid rgb(199, 199, 198); display: block; margin: 0px auto 5px; padding: 5px;" width="565" /></a>Bill to be charged shall vary according to terms and conditions contained in Memorandum of Understanding with sellers. For example- If the goods are delivered by e-commerce platform to customer then shipping charges shall be charged by platform in the bill. Shipping charges shall also be charged in bill and liable to service tax.</span></div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">III) Seller to Online Portals to Customer</strong></div>
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In this case , seller shall sell goods to e-commerce platform who in turn sells to final customer. Role of e-commerce site shall not be limited to provide interface but becomes the owner of the goods.<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline;"><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /></span></strong></div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">For Example:</span></strong></div>
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Mr Sushant Kapil orders iPhone 5s from the Online Website www.alidaddy.com. This site will book order on the behalf of the seller and purchase the goods from Manoj Electronics to deliver the goods to Customers. The invoice of iPhone 5s would be generated by the Manoj Electronics including TIN No. and address to the Website. Now, this site will issue an invoice to Customer.</div>
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<span style="color: black;"><a href="http://i1.wp.com/taxguru.in/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/manoj.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="manoj" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-65980" height="267" src="http://i0.wp.com/taxguru.in/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/manoj.jpg?resize=565%2C267" style="border: 1px solid rgb(199, 199, 198); display: block; margin: 0px auto 5px; padding: 5px;" width="565" /></a><a href="http://i2.wp.com/taxguru.in/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Alidaddy.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Alidaddy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-65981" height="241" src="http://i2.wp.com/taxguru.in/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Alidaddy.jpg?resize=565%2C241" style="border: 1px solid rgb(199, 199, 198); display: block; margin: 0px auto 5px; padding: 5px;" width="565" /></a>This site will generate an additional invoice of such services like Booking, Commission, Courier, Shipping charges etc. in the name of Seller XYZ Enterprises which will be exactly the same as discussed in Model 2.</span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">2. RENDERING OF SERVICES</strong></span></div>
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Let’s first define service as per Service Tax</div>
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Section 65B(44) of ST Act ‘Service’ means any activity carried out by a person for another for consideration, and includes a declared service, but shall not include -</div>
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(a) An activity which constitutes merely,––</div>
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(i) A transfer of title in goods or immovable property, by way of sale, gift or in any other manner; or</div>
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(ii) A transaction in money or actionable claim</div>
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Many E-portals websites are in existence to promote the business of rendering services on behalf of service provider. Various Service model are mentioned below:-</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">A) Service rendered by Online Portals ( like Makemytrip, Expedia etc) to the Service Recipient</strong></div>
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If the service provider is providing service to the customer with help of intermediary (Online Aggregator),in that case service tax shall be levied on the bill raised by Service Provider to the customer. Online Aggregator /intermediary shall raise bill towards service provider and service tax to be levied on same.</div>
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For Example- Online service providers (like makemytrip, booking.com) provide the relevant information on destinations, hotels and Airports. They have entered into MOU with hotels and airlines. Invoice is raised by the Service provider (hotel) on the customers. Makemytrip acting as online aggregator raises invoices towards hotel. Service Tax shall be levied on the amount of bill issued by online aggregator.</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">B) Direct rendering of Service from Service Provider to Service Receiver</strong></div>
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If the service provider is rendering the online services, then service provider shall be liable to charge service tax from the customer. For example – Online Repairing of computer being provided by the company then it shall be liable to charge Service tax from the customer.<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /></strong></div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">C) Service being provided from Customer to Customer</strong></div>
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In case of customer to customer transactions, website does not sell anything but provides a platform for the customers for doing sale and purchase .In turn charges for the commission for the service provided and same shall be liable to service tax . No chargeability of Sales Tax in such transactions.</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">D) Crowdfunding Websites</strong></div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Crowdfunding</strong> is the practice of funding a project or venture by raising monetary contributions from a large number of people, typically via the internet. These have been becoming very popular of late. People have been able to raise large capital for their venture. These platforms like pikaventure.com, Indiegogo.com and many others are helping entrepreneurs to raise capital for their project. In turn charge minimum fees for raising such amount if target funding is achieved. Amount of fee to be charged shall be liable for service tax.</div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Issues</strong></div>
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The current dispute has arisen in case of e-commerce companies that undertake storage of goods procured from various sellers in their warehouse before dispatching them to the respective buyers. It appears that Karnataka VAT authorities are of the view that in such cases, the e-commerce companies are involved in supplying and distribution of goods and, therefore, would qualify as ‘dealers’.. The authorities are also of the view that these companies act as commission agents or consignment agents of sellers. Therefore, these companies are covered under the definition of ‘dealers’ and, therefore, are liable to discharge VAT. “The Karnataka Government plans to amend the Value Added Tax Act and bring transactions from e-commerce marketplaces under its ambit, reports <strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The Times of India</strong>. The government says the amendment will deal with transactions on e-commerce sites that follow the marketplace model like Flipkart, Amazon India and Snapdeal and it is expected to be passed during the upcoming winter session of the state legislature. This action by one state government will change the whole scenario, wherein this industry would be greatly demotivated. Also the position of service tax law would need to be re-assessed after this.</div>
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Even though it has been decided issue that levy of tax would arise on occurrence of a taxable event. In the case of levy of VAT, the taxable event is sale or purchase of goods. In the case of e-commerce transactions, the companies are not involved in sale of goods at all. The primary object of the companies is to offer online portals where the buyer and the seller meet and the buyer places an order for goods advertised on the portal. The invoice is raised by the seller on the buyer. No invoice whatsoever is issued by the e-commerce company on the buyer in respect of sale of goods. Clearly, e-commerce companies are service providers.</div>
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<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Conclusion</span></strong></div>
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There has been clarity with regards to levy of indirect taxes on ecommerce transactions. Government of the day needs to incentives this sector and assist to make it competitive keeping in view their vision of “MADE IN INDIA CAMPAIGN” rather than burden with taxes.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0India20.593684 78.962880000000041-8.5806465 37.654286000000042 49.7680145 120.27147400000004tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7751682448116884324.post-84728390850569366692015-03-12T22:08:00.003-07:002015-03-12T22:08:36.270-07:00Tech Startups EXPLORE SME Segment<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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GIVING A PUSH Startups are working on advance payment model, identifying right customers and building trust over a period of time</div>
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Technology startups are finding new ways to tap into the hugely lucrative small and medium enterprises (SMEs), even as investors shy away from the segment which is plagued with problems such as rampant payment defaults and general averseness to technology.Working on an advance payment model, identifying the right customers and building trust over a period of time are among the few measures that startups have so far adopted.<br />
The biggest problem with cash-strapped SMEs is that customer acquisition costs are high while the average payments are low, leaving the startups with little option but to shut shop in case the payments do not come on time.<br />
“It is a push factor rather than a pull factor. It's like selling insurance; nobody buys it voluntarily , someone has to convince them to....As a result, Indian SMEs are a no-go sector for Indian venture capitalists,“ said Sharad Sharma, co-founder of iSpirt, adding that the software product think tank is working on a program that aims to change the buying behaviour of the firms in the segment.<br />
But the market is large, at about $370 million (about ` . 2,300 crore), according to IT industry lobby group Nasscom. The decline in interest from the venture capitalists comes at a time when even large companies such as accounting software maker Intuit, German software firm SAP and Microsoft are eyeing the sector.<br />
But startups like Maximojo are not willing to back down. Charging customers in advance and cutting off services at the end of a certain period, just like telecom operators do, is something that Sudhir Mody's Maximojo is working on.<br />
“Payment default rates have fallen because we have learnt to approach the right customers,“ said Mody, whose three-year-old firm enlists hotels on popular trip planning websites.<br />
Gartner categorises small businesses as those which have fewer than 100 employees and mid-sized enterprises are those which have be enterprises are those which have between 100 and 999 employees. These companies would rather reinvest their capital in the business than in new software, said Ajeet Khurana, an angel investor at Maximojo.<br />
“Because there are so many problems, startups should look at large market potential. If they are looking at niche markets, why would you bother?“ said Mohan Kumar, executive director, Norwest Venture Partners India, who has backed customer engagement solution Capillary Technologies and hospital management software Attune Technologies in the past.<br />
Cash-only payments, whose sources are sometimes questionable, are another worry for startups. Unlike in other countries, credit card penetration is low in India, and the practice of automatically deducting money from customers on a regular basis is not allowed by the Reserve Bank of India.<br />
As a result, startups also need to figure out a way to ensure payments from the customer's bank account can be pre-authorised, much like the equated monthly instalments work, said Kumar. Having an inside sales team that regularly keeps in touch with the customers, also helps. “Then it becomes a scalable business model,“ said Kumar.<br />
Once they gain the trust of SMEs, startups find that they are able to get them on board to make online transactions regularly.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0India20.593684 78.962880000000041-8.580994 37.654286000000042 49.768361999999996 120.27147400000004tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7751682448116884324.post-62453281041501219122015-03-12T22:03:00.003-07:002015-03-12T22:03:58.626-07:00Startup hiring process India CS GAURAV +919990694230<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Startups are taking the unconventional route to hire people. With companies valuing cultural fit just as much as expertise, they are innovating with interview formats. If you aspire to work for a startup, here's a tip: Expect the unexpected. Saumya Bhattacharya and Devina Sengupta report</div>
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URBAN LADDER<br />
The Airport Test<br />
Online furniture curator Urban Ladder has, by its own admission, put in place a “cumbersome“ interview process to fluster prospective employees.<br />
The rigorous process starts even before hiring managers meet the candidate. As a first step, the company screens the candidate on phone. In the 45-minute conversation, the functional manager tests the candidate's basic communication, past experience, basic fit and career plans. Next, an exercise tests candidates' problem-solving skills. This is literally the start of the interview, and some candidates drop off at this level itself. Time spent on the exercise: between three and six hours. And if you are an engineer, you will find yourself in the midst of a hacking test.A week later, the interview is scheduled.<br />
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THE GOOGLY: WHEN THEY'RE `STRANDED'<br />
Candidates are given an `airport test' to gauge whether they can hold a conversation if they are stranded at an airport for two hours.<br />
The interviewer asks people about their hobbies or encourages them to talk about something they are extremely passionate about. The questions are not very structured but are left for the interviewee to decide based on the flow of conversation. The idea is to keep the conversation informal.<br />
The fundamental premise of hiring is potential more than performance.Since we are trying to do something that has not been done before -selling furniture online -we need a rigorous process to spot talent RAJIV SRIVATSA, Co-founder & COO<br />
JOMBAY<br />
Testing Area: The Reception Area<br />
Talent assessment and analytics platform Jombay keeps a keen eye on the candidate from the word `go'. You are being interviewed even when there is no one around you. Or you could be asked to play the guitar when you may not even when you may not even know how to hold one.<br />
Jombay often conducts a rapidfire round centered on the candidate's personal life. Current affairs, relationships, wellness, food and art are part of the conversation, aimed at evaluating the cultural fit.Candidates are asked to create their own psychometric report. They are asked to compare that with one generated by Jombay, and explain the perception gap.<br />
Recruiters at Jombay sometimes make the candidates sit for 30 minutes in the reception area and observe ception area and obser the wait. They usually keep five books, and an equal number of newspapers and magazines at the reception and closely watch the candidate's behaviour to infer the cultural or personality fit from which books, magazines and newspapers they pick up. At junior-level interviews, candidates are asked to play the guitar to check how the person adapts or learns in unfamiliar territories.<br />
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THE GOOGLY: PUSH-UPS & STRETCHES<br />
Half the office was doing push-ups and stretches when a candidate arrived. The hirers told him this was their exercise time, and he could join in. They were checking the candidate's adaptability. He happily joined in.<br />
There are people who look at the notice boards and our awards, and try to absorb as much as they can about the company (the smart ones). There are people who portray that they are reading The Economic Times but don't flip the page at all (those trying to make an impression), and there are people who read inspirational books (startup material) MOHIT GUNDECHA, CEO & co-founder, explaining the test at the reception<br />
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IBIBO<br />
Many Levels to Cross<br />
Ibibo Group founder Ashish Kashyap has a unique task -he approves every single hiring.Group companies Goibibo and RedBus have 400 and 650 employees respectively, all of whom have been vetted by him.<br />
At ibiboGroup, the hiring process has been the same since Day 1. If you are being hired for mid-level positions, you get to face at least you get to face at least three interviews. At the senior level, there are at least five levels of interview.Interviewers can be junior to the prospective hire.<br />
Each interviewer rates the candidate and writes a small essay. Ratings are then aggregated. At this stage, it is also decided if the candidate needs to be interviewed by more people. Then comes the approval from the founder based on the hiring dockets and interviewer feedback.<br />
The key reason for close involvement is to ensure that we continue to maintain our culture; ensure that people we are hiring are a cultural fit to our philosophies ASHISH KASHYAP Founder & CEO<br />
PAYTM<br />
Take Exams From Home<br />
Indian mobile payments and ecommerce platform, Paytm, has a coding competition wherein candidates can work from home.<br />
This part of the interview process, implemented in 2013end, is meant to recruit engineering students from remote areas. The coding competitions are held online, eliminating the need for test centres, especially for those who want to work for Paytm from remote areas.<br />
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THE GOOGLY: DIRECT EXPERIENCE<br />
For management students, in 2014, the company came up with the idea of letting shortlisted candidates work from the Paytm office for a few days. The idea to let senior employees test their working conditions and teams came from a few entrepreneurs who wanted to figure out if they were comfortable working in the e-commerce company.<br />
The management thought this was an excellent way to get feedback and ensure the right candidate is selected. This also helps Paytm extend the message that a cultural fit is important for the company.<br />
We get to hire from Shillong, Guwahati and not go there.Students get to crack the code from home and we save initial travelling costs VIJAY SHEKHAR SHARMA CEO & founder</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0India20.593684 78.962880000000041-8.580994 37.654286000000042 49.768361999999996 120.27147400000004tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7751682448116884324.post-2946883385834939012015-02-05T00:10:00.002-08:002015-02-05T00:10:32.495-08:00Startups to Gain from IIT Placements<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Entrepreneurship Development Cell plans inter-disciplinary placement programme</div>
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In its bid to promote entrepreneurship in the National Capital Region, the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi's Entrepreneurship Development Cell will be conducting a placement programme for students across disciplines, a move touted as the first such in India.EDC-IIT Delhi has brought on board some of the country's top startups, a list that includes, News Corp-backed real estate portal PropTiger, TouchTalent, an online marketplace for creative talent, and video-based platform l Frankly .me, which could potentially hire close to 300 students during course of the job fair, scheduled to be held later this month at IIT campus. l “Startups are always on the lookout for talent, and this event also helps in fostering the entrepreneurial environment in the DelhiNCR region,“ said Navratn Singh, director of the IIT Delhi cell.<br />
The placement programme could see engi neering students from Delhi College of Engineering, often preferred pick of startups looking to build further on technology platforms, duking it out with the best Delhi University has to offer, including students from high-profile colleges, such as Sri Ram College of Commerce, Lady Shri Ram College and Hansraj College. “This isn't just for engineering students, or those with a tech background. It's for everybody who's looking to join startups in India,“ pointed out Ravish Ratnam, president, EDC-IIT Delhi. Additionally , SAIF Partners, Accel Partners and Matrix Partners have signed up to participate in the programme.<br />
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Source Econimic times</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0India20.593684 78.962880000000041-8.580994 37.654286000000042 49.768361999999996 120.27147400000004tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7751682448116884324.post-64641844232987351782015-02-05T00:08:00.002-08:002015-02-05T00:08:48.948-08:00Startups may Enjoy Excise Duty, Service Tax Waiver From CS GAURAV +919990694230<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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STARTING SOPS Inter-ministerial group is considering a one-stop registration service for all startups that will make also them eligible for govt grants</div>
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The union government is in the process of gift-wrapping a bonanza for startups with proposals to exempt them from service tax and excise duties for a specified period.An inter-ministerial group is considering a one-stop registration service for all startups that will make also them eligible for government grants. The group, chaired by Jayant Sinha who is minister of state for finance, includes ministries of science and technology , corporate affairs and the department of electronics and IT.<br />
Harkesh Mittal, secretary in the department of science and technology , confirmed talks but declined to share specifics of the proposals under consideration. “The proposal is in its very early stages,“ he said.<br />
Startups which register under the department of science and technology and are certified as `bonafide' will then be eligible for tax exemptions both service and excise-until their revenues reach a certain threshold, according to sources privy with the talks. They will also qualify to receive grants of up to `. 10 crore from the DST.<br />
According to World Bank, India is currently ranked at 134 in the ease of doing business, a ranking the Modi government is aiming to change.<br />
Nasscom has also proposed a three year moratorium to the government on quarterly regulatory filings and taxes so that India's young companies can scale up fast. “Service tax exemption is a much needed proposition.But sops should be more broad-based as majority of successful start-ups are not registered with DST affiliated incubators,“ said Ravi Gururaj, chairman at Nasscom Product Council.<br />
This aggressive policy push for start-ups, in the run-up to the Union Budget 2015, is coming at a time when India is in the midst of an unprecedented entrepreneurial boom. Venture capitalists nearly doubled their investments in the country last year, putting in an all-time high of $2.1 billion in Indian startups.<br />
The government seems eager to play its part. In the interim budget announced by finance minister Arun Jaitley in July 2014, the government announced an ` . 10,000 crore fund for start-ups. The latest proposals under consideration, are targeted at more than just financial support, and extend to simplifying process of starting up as well as running a business.<br />
“Technology startups in India are burdened by bad regulations,“ said Sharad Sharma, founder of product startup think tank iSpirt.<br />
“It has led to flight of many good companies overseas. Hopefully we will see concrete action in the Budget,“ he said.<br />
At present, technology startups have to pay service tax at the rate of 12.36%similar to what large corporates are charged, besides also having to pay excise and income tax.<br />
“Service tax exemption for startups, will save both time and cost of compliance,“ said Sachin Chaudhary , CEO and founder, Medical Second Opinion, an online aggregator medical doctors in India. With the one page annual filing, tech businesses will get more time to accelerate and scale,“ People with knowledge of the proposals being discussed by the interministerial group said, there are moves to also ease the process of shutting down failed startups. “ Certified' startups will have the ability to shutdown in a day , with submission of a single page form,' said one source.<br />
Every day nearly over two startups are set up in India. Industry members estimate that for every hundred new ventures, at least eighty fail.<br />
Currently , it takes a private limited company about 18-36 months to wind up completely . Procedure involves taking a no-objection certificate from each creditor, getting approval of all directors, including investors and submitting a court petition.<br />
However a large number of technology startups own assets such as an intellectual property or a website, the ministerial group is now discussing new rules that will help them shut down speedily , if required.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0India20.593684 78.962880000000041-8.580994 37.654286000000042 49.768361999999996 120.27147400000004tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7751682448116884324.post-55916353071466278462015-01-10T00:49:00.002-08:002015-01-10T00:49:54.019-08:00Startup marathon (GAURAV)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0India20.593684 78.962880000000041-8.580994 37.654286000000042 49.768361999999996 120.27147400000004tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7751682448116884324.post-33118511777228283762014-12-31T01:38:00.004-08:002014-12-31T01:38:56.589-08:00Must watch start-ups By GAURAV +919990694230<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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There were a bunch of hot new global startups that launched this year. But what's going to be huge next year? Here are the 14 startups that are likely to make it big in 2015. Some are trying to transform messaging, some are attempting to conquer the sharing economy and some are media companies trying to make it big</div>
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SLACK Stewart Butterfield<br />
Why you should watch: Slack is a communication app that lets workplaces use a group chat room, private messaging features, and file sharing. It's completely taken the business world by storm, and is one of the fastest growing enterprise apps of all time. Slack will likely only get bigger next year. FUNDING: $180 million from Andreessen Horowitz, Accel Partners, The Social+Capital Partnership, Google Ventures, and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.FOUNDERS: Stewart Butterfield, Eric Costello, Cal Henderson, Serguei Mourachov<br />
HEADSPACE Andy Puddicombe<br />
Why you should watch: Companies across Silicon Valley are embracing meditation as a way to help employees unlock productivity. Headspace is taking advantage of that trend by offering mobile and web platforms that let you meditate on your own time. Headspace has over a million users in 150 countries.FUNDING: $4 million in seed funding, but no investors have been announced.FOUNDERS: Andy Puddicombe, Richard Pierson<br />
WISH Peter Szulczewski<br />
Why you should watch: Wish is a mobile shopping startup that looks like Pinterest and only shows you the stuff you want to buy. Techcrunch says the startup is in “talks to raise roughly $100 million at a valuation of around $1 billion.“ Wish CEO Peter Szulczewski said “We want to be Google AdWords for the retailer.“<br />
FUNDING: $78.7 million from Founders Fund, Legend Capital, GGV Capital, Jerry Yang, and Jared Leto.FOUNDERS: Peter Szulczewski, Danny Zhang<br />
CASPER Philip Krim<br />
What it is: Casper landed a $13.1 Million Series A this summer, and has been growing ever since. The company wants to take the traditionally convoluted process of buying a mattress and streamline it for the web. The startup's clean, informative website and slick ordering system has already facilitated thousands of orders.INVESTORS : $15 million from New Enterprise Associates, Lerer Hippeau Ventures, Kevin Colleran, and SV Angel.FOUNDERS: Philip Krim, Jeff Chapin, Gabriel Flateman, Luke Sherwin, Neil Parikh<br />
INSTACART Apoorva Mehta<br />
Why you should watch: With Instacart, you can order groceries from your phone or online, and have them delivered to your apartment in less than an hour. Instacart operates in 10 cities right now. Most locations offer food and household essentials from Costco, Harris Teeter, and Whole Foods. In December, Instacart raised a huge $100 million round of funding.FUNDING: $154.8 million from Andreessen Horowitz, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Khosla Ventures, Sequoia Capital, Sam Altman, and Aaron Levie.FOUNDERS: Apoorva Mehta, Max Mullen, Brandon Leonardo<br />
JET Marc Lore<br />
Why you should watch: Marc Lore, formerly the CEO of Quidsi -the website behind Diapers.com -is working on unveiling a new e-commerce website called Jet, which is rumored to be an Amazon-killer. Lore has promised Jet will be a “new kind of e-commerce experience, uniquely grounded in transparency and customer empowerment.“<br />
Jet hasn't officially launched yet, but it has announced it will offer shares of stock to early users.FUNDING: $80 million from High Peaks Venture Partners, MentorTech Ventures, Bain Capital Ventures, Accel Partners, and New Enterprise Associates.FOUNDERS: Marc Lore<br />
HAMPTON CREEK Josh Tetrick v Why you should watch: Hampton Creek wants to make eggs obsolete and according to founder and CEO Josh Tetrick, “get rid of s--food that's bad for our bodies and bad for the planet.“ The company released an eggless mayonnaise this year that was so successful they were sued by Hellmann's, and just announced $90 million in Series C funding on top of the $23 million Series B round they raised this February.FUNDING: $30 million from Khosla Ventures, Collaborative Fund, and Horizons Ventures.FOUNDERS: Josh Tetrick<br />
MIC Chris Altchek<br />
Why you should watch: Mic is a media company built for millennials. In the three years since founding the company, Chris Altchek and Jake Horowitz have built a modern media brand from the ground up, recruiting top talent on the way. The company has raised $15 million to date and attracts 19 million readers per month.FUNDING: $15 million from Lerer Hippeau Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Advancit Capital, Red Swan Ventures, and The Knight Foundation.FOUNDERS: Chris Altchek, Jake Horowitz<br />
ELECTRIC OBJECTS Jake Levine<br />
Why you should watch: Electric Objects wants to give you a way to display internet art into your home. The company was founded by former Betaworks employee Jake Levine, who helped orchestrate Digg's reinvention.Electric Objects secured $1.7 million in seed funding back in April then proceeded to raise an additional $800,000 on Kickstarter this August.FUNDING: $1.7 million from Betaworks, First Round, RRE Ventures Nate Westheimer, Matt Witheiler, Rich Greenfield, and Scott Birnbaum.FOUNDERS: Jake Levine<br />
DOTS Paul Murphy<br />
Why you should watch: Dots, originally born out of Betaworks, is a new type of gaming studio. The company's initial game “Dots“ was a gigantic hit, garnering over one million users in a week after their launch in May 2013. They followed up with a sequel game, TwoDots this summer and last week spun out of Betaworks entirely after closing a $10 million round of funding from Tencent and GreyCroft. INVESTORS: $10 million from Greycroft Partners, Tencent, Northzone Ventures, and Crunchfund.FOUNDERS: Paul Murphy, Patrick Moberg --BUSINESS INSIDER<br />
YIK YAK Tyler Droll<br />
Why you should watch: If you haven't al ready heard about it, Yik Yak is a gossip app taking high schools and college cam puses by storm. It works by letting users post anything they want, anonymously. The app is location-based, so you can only see what people nearby are posting. Some schools have already blocked the app. In total, Yik Yak has raised $73.5 million.FUNDING: $73.5 million from Sequoia Capital, Tim Draper, Kevin Colleran, and Azure Capital Partners.FOUNDERS: Tyler Droll, Brooks Buffington<br />
CYBER DUST Ryan Ozonian<br />
Why you should watch: We live in an age in which hackers have leaked everything from Sony executives' emails to the private pictures on celebrities' iPhones. To keep yourself and your messages safe, you may want to consider using Cyber Dust. Mark Cuban's free app lets users send self-destructing texts and photos, with help from Mention Media.It's like Snapchat in that your messages will vanish after 30 seconds, but it's better than Snapchat because won't leave any trace of your messages whatsoever -your name is never attached to them, either.FUNDING: None announced.FOUNDERS: Ryan Ozonian<br />
GIMLET MEDIA Alex Blumberg<br />
Why you should watch: After mastering the art of the podcast as a producer for This American Life, Alex Blumberg decided to start his own network.Gimlet Media only runs two shows, one of which is about the company itself, but after receving a slew of seed-stage investment this fall, the company is expanding rapidly.FUNDING: $1.5 million from Betaworks, Lowercase Capital, and Knight Enterprise Fund.FoUNDERS: Alex Blumberg, Matt Lieber<br />
BOWERY Zachary Hamed<br />
Why you should watch: Bowery allows developers to set up coding environments in 30 seconds flat.Bowery's cloud-based system frees programmers from the painful process of manually installing complicated sets of parameters over and over again before they can begin working. It also lets developers share their environment with co-workers in real time. One CEO told us Bowery's technology has the power to radically transform how engineers work.FUNDING: $1.5 million from Betaworks, Bloomberg Beta, BOLDstart Ventures, Deep Fork Capital, Google Ventures, Homebrew, RRE, SV Angel, General Catalyst's Rough Draft Ventures, and First Round Capital's Dorm Room Fund.FOUNDERS: Zachary Hamed, David Byrd, Steve Kaliski</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0India20.593684 78.962880000000041-8.580994 37.654286000000042 49.768361999999996 120.27147400000004tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7751682448116884324.post-91782374797190761902014-12-30T00:03:00.001-08:002014-12-30T00:03:33.677-08:00Startups <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Bridge the gap between expectation and funding for early-stage startups</div>
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Angel investments in India have been on the rise in the past couple of years, driven by technology entrepreneurs and corporate honchos willing to back early-stage ideas with risk capital.Enter TermSheet, Asha Impact and Applyifi -a breed of startups that has sprung up to help other startups. They are platforms that streamline the process of pitching for funds, make the assessment of startups easier for investors and reduce the time taken to close deals. While TermSheet and Applyifi are focussed on companies, Asha Impact seeks to address development challenges.<br />
TermSheet works with investors to reorient the way they evaluate early-stage companies, depending on the amount they are looking to raise. It addresses the mismatch between expectations of entrepreneurs needing funding and the lack of awareness among early-stage investors. “Most problems arise because investors apply late-stage capital investment techniques to early-stage compa nies and are diverting capital here,“ said Vivek Durai, founder of Chennai-based TermSheet.Currently operational offline, it will go online in February. The other challenge for TermSheet is to help close deals faster.<br />
“We spend so much time closing a deal and on the term sheet and at the end of it, they all look similar.That's the problem Vivek is trying to solve. Also, the number of deals has shot up, so now you need to go through 100 to find five to evaluate further to get one you want to invest in finally,“ said Ajit Khurana, an angel investor registered on TermSheet's network and chief executive officer of the Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay.<br />
Khurana has been an angel investor since 1998 and has 22 deals in his portfolio outside of TermSheet.<br />
“The other key part is that it saves me time of sifting startups. If it scales up, it will make things easier for angel investors and we'll trust validation they make,“ said Gaurav Lochan, an angel investor at TermSheet and an engineer at Facebook. He has made one investment through the company .<br />
TermSheet has 100 investors registered on its network. It has closed one deal and has 20 in the pipeline. It operates in the range of . 65 lakh to ` ` . 6 crore and takes about 1% of the deal value from startups as commission.<br />
The platform focuses on sectors such as hardware, Internet of Things, healthcare and embedded systems programming, in addition to product companies. “These sectors need to come to a stage where venture capitalists will fund them. Investors want a hot opportunity and operate with a herd mentality,“ Durai said.<br />
Asha Impact, launched by Vik ram Gandhi, former vice-chairman of investment banking and global head of financial institutions business for Credit Suisse, addresses the other end of the spectrum, providing angel money to social enterprises.<br />
Operating as an informal network with the backing of high net worth individuals, Asha focuses on ventures in financial inclusion, affordable housing and alternative energy , with investments ranging from $100,000 to $3 million.<br />
“Most impact investing in India is actually foreign money. Poverty elimination can be done through the NGO path. The other way to deal with poverty problems is the third leg of bringing entrepreneurial business principles that will encourage entrepreneurial activity in these areas and bringing scalable models which are not dependent on bringing government grants,“ said Gandhi.<br />
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Source of article TOI<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0India20.593684 78.962880000000041-8.580994 37.654286000000042 49.768361999999996 120.27147400000004tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7751682448116884324.post-48523633709531155712014-10-31T09:53:00.001-07:002014-10-31T09:53:25.230-07:00Facebook coming to India as council forum for e comm experts <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> World's largest social networking site Facebook has set up the India Client Council to offer a forum to brands to share ideas about the future of marketing.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> </span><br style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /><br style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">The Council includes companies like Tata MotorsBSE 1.76 %, Flipkart, AirtelBSE -2.26 %, P&G, Madison World, ICICI Bank, HUL, Micromax and Future Group among others. </span><br style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /><br style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Apart from India, Facebook has global, EMEA, Brazil and UK councils. </span><br style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /><br style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">"There are now more than </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">100 million people in India connected through Facebook and in the past year, we have invested heavily in creating solutions that are tailored to the needs of people and advertisers here," Facebook India Managing Director Kirthiga Reddy said. </span><br style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Facebook has been one of the key growth partners for Flipkart and the e-commerce industry at large. I am really keen on engaging in an open and transparent idea sharing platform with other people in the Indian ecosystem to find ways in which we can grow not just our business, but trade and commerce in general," Flipkart CEO Sachin Bansal said </span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7751682448116884324.post-5936468798203983292014-10-31T04:45:00.003-07:002014-10-31T04:45:29.333-07:00Andy robin leaves Google<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Andy Rubin, the co-founder of Android and former Android Guru inside Google, is leaving the company to start a tech incubator for start-ups that want to build hardware, <em style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;">The New York Times</em> reports. After being removed from the Android team last year and replaced with Sundar Pichai, Rubin was put in charge of Google’s new robotics division.<span id="more-4052427"></span></div>
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“I want to wish Andy all the best with what’s next. With Android he created something truly remarkable — with a billion-plus happy users,” Google CEO Larry Page said in a statement.</div>
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Rubin’s departure is just one of the recent changes at Google. Only last week, Google gave Pichai even more power, with the popular exec now being in charge of all Google products.</div>
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“These changes will free me up a bit so I can focus on the bigger picture with Sundar when it comes to our core products,” Page said in a memo.</div>
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It’s not clear whether Pichai’s significant promotion has anything to do with Rubin’s departure.</div>
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“It’s surprising and sounds pretty unplanned,” IDC analyst Scott Strawn told <em style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;">The Wall Street Journal</em>. “If it was voluntary on Mr. Rubin’s part, you would think he would see part of the robotics project through to completion to have something to show publicly before leaving.”</div>
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Rubin co-founded Android in 2003, selling it to Google two years later where it continued his work atop the Android team. The first Android device was launched in 2008, the HTC-made T-Mobile G1 (also known as the HTC Dream).</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7751682448116884324.post-40274696232096646522014-10-26T04:16:00.002-07:002014-10-26T04:16:55.290-07:00How to startup in India Guide By CS GAURAV +919990694230<iframe src="//www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/40731734" width="476" height="400" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0India20.593684 78.962880000000041-8.580994 37.654286000000042 49.768361999999996 120.27147400000004tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7751682448116884324.post-302487828350798322014-10-09T04:25:00.004-07:002014-10-09T04:25:50.445-07:00startup myths which must be ignored<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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1. “When it comes to the markets you target, investors need them to be very big.”</h2>
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Many entrepreneurs believe that to have a “big win,” they have to chase billion-dollar markets. However, some of the smallest markets generate the largest returns. Often, big ideas focused on big opportunities require larger capital investments for startups.</div>
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Alternatively, small niche markets can be very attractive for investors, because the startup can quickly create a defensible advantage, acquire customers with less capital and be less vulnerable to threats from competitors. We love to see startups chasing markets where they can be a dominant player and establish strong customer relationships without a lot of financing.</div>
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From an investor’s perspective, there is absolutely nothing wrong with a startup that may never need more capital than $1 to $2 million, but can still achieve a “modest” $30 to $50 million exit. In fact, the likelihood of a solid return may be far higher given the lower inherent risks, despite a smaller exit.</div>
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2. “When it comes to raising capital, raise as much as you can and aim for the highest valuation.”</h2>
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A simple analysis of ownership, dilution and value creation supports that a startup should only raise what is necessary to get to the next meaningful business milestone.</div>
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Achieving milestones such as product completion, key management additions, and most importantly, initial customer/revenue traction, often allows a startup to raise more funding at a much higher valuation. Studies indicate that pre-revenue startups, nationwide, are priced within a surprisingly tight valuation range, so there is often little chance of a higher valuation until these first milestones are achieved.</div>
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Most startups need to set their first value and raise targets at reasonable levels, pursuing higher valuations and larger rounds once more substantive progress is achieved.</div>
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3. “Patents are crucial for technology investors.”</h2>
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It is true that investors love startups with strong intellectual property. However, we have learned the expensive lesson that not every concept or product needs a patent strategy. Filing and maintaining patents can be very expensive and may never lead to a stronger competitive position.</div>
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Furthermore, startups often exaggerate the value of their IP to investors. Then, during due diligence, investors inevitably get spooked upon discovering competitors with prior art or closely related IP.</div>
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Our advice here is to retain a reputable IP attorney, ideally with experience related to your technology or product, and to have a candid conversation on the true cost vs. benefit of a specific patent and whether your IP is likely to become a valuable asset.</div>
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4. “If you are young and smart, there is no better time to take a shot and launch your startup.”</h2>
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With the recent startup avalanche and the global excitement throughout the entrepreneurial space, it’s very tempting for young entrepreneurs to leave academic programs to pursue their startup ambitions. Yet for every example where a young, inexperienced entrepreneur nailed it, there are hundreds of failures.</div>
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While some say failure itself is a learning experience, we know that even a short job stint resulting in relevant experience is by far a better strategy. A young entrepreneur should take note that the vast majority of successful investors require experienced founders and management teams.</div>
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So if you think you have a great idea, thoroughly analyze what your weaknesses are matched against what skill sets will likely be necessary for your startup’s success. Try to work on strengthening these weaknesses, perhaps by joining a company in your target industry. Learn on someone else’s dime</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7751682448116884324.post-24698878051111631912013-12-30T08:39:00.001-08:002014-06-09T01:48:01.132-07:00A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM GAURAV KUMAR SHARMA 9990694230<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>REGARDS,<br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: #33cc00;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #000099;"><span style="background-color: white;">GAURAV KUMAR SHARMA</span></span></span><u><span style="color: #000099;"><span style="background-color: #009900;"></span></span></u></span> </b></div>
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