TIECON 2024 - Time for Indian brands to make global debut: Gupta

Tribune News Service

Vijay C Roy

Chandigarh, March 2

India’s startup ecosystem is very vibrant and it is high time the world got accustomed to experiencing top-notch brands emanating from India, said Shark Tank host and successful entrepreneur Aman Gupta. He was addressing startup innovators, along with budding entrepreneurs, at TiECON 2024, North India’s largest entrepreneurial conclave, here today.

“As of now, it’s very difficult to name five Indian brands having global presence except those who are into software outsourcing. But the same doesn’t holds for American brands as these are on everyone’s fingertips,” he added.

“We are rightfully poised to leverage immense entrepreneurial potential, investment stamina and youth talent to rule the world,” said Aman Gupta who co-founded boAt in 2016 with Sameer Mehta. In 2023, the Indian brand emerged as a formidable force in this global race of wearable devices occupying second slot after Apple in 2023.

On being asked about his venture (boAt) he said, “Our death was written much before we were born as already 200 audio brands were operating in the space we ventured, but that couldn’t deter us. Today, our sales are around Rs 4,000 crore with 70 per cent of the products being made in India.”

Gupta while underlining the significance of mentorship said he was unfortunate to not have any mentors when he started his sixth venture, boAt , after failing in all his previous attempts to do something on his own.

Naming Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, as one he looks up to for inspiration, Gupta said they had done a lot of things to ensure customer satisfaction with robust backward integration. “Innovating with your approach while bringing customer aspirations in sync is the key to lasting success,” he added.

Officially a Chartered Accountant, Aman Gupta while replying to a question during the session “Fireside Chat: Bharat’s rise to Global Prominence”, said as an investor must keep reflecting to learn and grow.

Gupta, while referring to BYJU’s, said there was no shortcut to success and one must look for sustainable growth which not only helped your business to grow but also kept nurturing the ecosystem which helped you to thrive in first place.

‘Getting funding is like chef buying vegetable’

• Delineating the significance of funding, celebrated author and investor Ankur Warikoo said securing a funding for your venture was no immediate cause of real celebration and it entailed greater moral responsibility to succeed. “Getting funding is just like a chef buying a vegetable. As mere buying a vegetable doesn’t make a chef successful, in the same way, getting a funding doesn’t make you a successful entrepreneur,” he added.
• One must be conscious of how to put the money we earn to good use, said Warikoo during a discussion on “Earning, Spending & Investing for Startup Success”. He said a great, growing and not-so-competitive market would offer enhanced avenues for learning and success. This knowledge comes to most after burning your fingers, he said.

Leadership is not a popularity contest

• Underscoring the jist of his 35-year experience to budding industry leaders, globally acclaimed author and speaker Shiv Khera said no leader had a readymade team and leadership as a role was not a popularity contest. “There are no neutral leaders. Either one is a good leader or a bad leader,” said Khera, adding that integrity plays the most crucial role in success of a team.

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