Tech Entrepreneurship in India: Interactions with the World

This panel discussion will focus on rising tech entrepreneurship in India and its interactions with the rest of the world. The panelists will discuss their journey and the future they envision. 

Panelist Bios

Vani Kola is the Managing Director at Kalaari Capital, an early stage venture capital firm based in Bangalore. She is a renowned investor and a visionary known for identifying emerging markets. Her leadership at Kalaari centers around her commitment to the development of entrepreneurs and her conviction that Indian companies are poised to become global players. Vani is a technology focused investor with many of her investments having now become very successful, validating her aptitude for picking the best young minds and mentoring them to build high growth enterprises. Some of Kola's notable venture capital successes include: Dream11, Cure.fit, Snapdeal, Myntra among others. Vani is profiled in numerous books and has been identified as one of Fortune’s Most Powerful Women in Business. She is actively involved in various organizations focused on fostering entrepreneurship and women leadership. Outside of work, Vani enjoys spending time with her family, practices yoga and heartfulness meditation devotedly. She believes in sustainable living and grows enough organic produce in her garden to meet her family’s needs. 

Saurabh Srivastava is one of India’s leading entrepreneurs and institution builders widely acknowledged in India and globally as one of the architects of the Indian IT Industry and as leading the creation of a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem in India. In March last year PM Narendra presented him an Award for contribution to the Indian IT Industry and in January this year the Indian Government awarded him the Padma Shri . He co-founded and Chaired key institutions of modern India focused on entrepreneurship: NASSCOM; Indian Venture Capital Association; TiE New Delhi NCR, and Indian Angel Network (IAN). At the UK government’s invitation IAN’s chapter was launched in London at 10 Downing Street by PM David Cameron, with 4 cabinet Ministers present. Srivastava is a doyen of entrepreneurship and angel/VC investments. He has been involved in investing in around 100 start-ups and has personally mentored hundreds of entrepreneurs. He founded and chaired India’s first private sector VC Fund- Infinity, which created companies like India Bulls, India Games and  Avendus. He was adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship at IIT Bombay, on the board of Incubation Cell of IIT Delhi and is on the board of the Entrepreneurship/ Innovation Cell at IIT  Kanpur. He is a co founder of Ashoka University and serves/has served on the Advisory Boards of Imperial College Business School, London and Uttarakhand and Himachal Universities in India. He has a Masters from Harvard University and a B Tech from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur. Other Awards include “Distinguished Alumnus Award” from IIT, the Data Quest (Indian IT Industry’s Oscars) Lifetime Achievement Award, an Honorary Doctorate in Technology from the University of Wolverhampton, UK, and Awards from TiE, LMA and other organizations.

Sanjeev Bikhchandani's work experience includes an advertising position at Lintas India Limited, a marketing position at HMM Limited (now known as Glaxo SmithKline), and a senior management position at CMYK Printech Private Limited (owner of The Pioneer newspaper). Along with his partner, Mr. Hitesh Oberoi, he won the Ernst and Young – Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2008 for Business Transformation. He also won the Dataquest Pathbreaker Award and the Teacher’s Achievement Award for Business in 2008. He is a frequent speaker on entrepreneurship at conferences and at business schools. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from St. Stephen College, Delhi University in 1984 and a PGDM from IIM-Ahmedabad in 1989.

Moderator Bio

Professor Sharad Malik is the George Van Ness Lothrop Professor of Engineering at Princeton University and the Chair of the Department of Electrical Engineering. Previously he served as the Director of the Keller Center at Princeton University (2006-2011). He has served on the Technical Advisory Board for several hi-tech companies with successful exits: Flarion Technologies acquired by Qualcomm, Jasper Design Automation acquired by Cadence and Axys Design Automation acquired by ARM. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Info Edge (India).