Yesterday, the Indo-German Centre for Business Excellence launched its new online format, the Indo-German Business Talk. Experts talk about current business affairs affecting India and Germany at regular intervals. The Talk consists of a 45-minute live webinar streamed via Zoom. After the webinar, panelists and the moderator discuss for another 30 minutes with the audience on the social audio app Clubhouse.
The inaugural Talk addressed entrepreneurship in Germany and India and featured experts Arie Ben Josef, Ruzica Pekic, and Ramakrishna Velamuri.
Entrepreneurship is thriving in Germany and India, with startup ecosystems growing rapidly and attracting talent and funding from around the world. In Germany, many incubators and accelerators have helped foster a supportive environment for startups, while major corporations like Siemens and Volkswagen invest in innovative new companies. Thanks to a young population and growing access to capital, India’s startup scene is booming, with startups attracting attention from prominent investors like SoftBank and Alibaba.
Despite their different backgrounds, the two countries have much in common regarding entrepreneurship. Both are home to many engineers, and both have strong traditions of manufacturing and engineering. In addition, both countries are seeing a surge in digital innovation, with startups developing new products and services in fields like e-commerce, fintech, and healthcare.
The panelists agreed that frameworks, such as a country’s bureaucracy, tax system, and legal requirements matter much less for the success of a startup than the network of the entrepreneur. Founders are rarely successful without in-depth knowledge of the ecosystem in which they operate.
After the panel discussion, the speakers and audience engaged in a lively conversation on Clubhouse.