It was a blisteringly hot day in Calcutta; 36-year-old IT professional Umesh Agarwal, who had been out in the sun, just couldn바카라t wait to get home and turn on the air-conditioner. Except, 바카라When I switched on the remote, it just emitted an eerie noise and conked off.바카라 What followed was an exasperating conversation with the customer service personnel on the AC company바카라s helpline. 바카라They were asking for detailed information바카라the machine바카라s year of purchase, the date the warranty expires, the model numÂber and other questions I could not readily answer,바카라 he says. 바카라I had forgotten where or whether I had stored the user manual and I thought, 바카라How many people have the time or patience to dig through junk mail and recover the kind of crucial information they were asking for?바카라 My answer was, 바카라Almost no one.바카라바카라
That바카라s when a brainwave struck. Agarwal decided to create an app that would digitally store not only information about consumers바카라 household appliances, electronic gadgets and other machinery, but even mundane data such as records of invoices, INSÂurances, warranties, renewal dates, annÂual maintenance certificates and other documents. 바카라A customer who downloads the app, I thought, should be able to access all the information,바카라 says Agarwal. 바카라And companies too should find it useful because it would keep a record of purchase details of a consumer.바카라 By winter, that is December 2017, he launched the app바카라calling it Jolly App바카라as well as going on to successfully market it (currently, it has an estimated 50,000 users) after being certified by the Union ministry of commerce and industry.
On August 9, the British Club in Calcutta held a roundtable conference for entrepreneurs like Agarwal, providing them with an opportunity to participate in an ongoing British-India joint business initiative which has been helping innovative Indian technology startups to go global by taking their entÂerprises abroad, namely the UK. Hosted and moderated by Bruce Bucknell, the British deputy high commissioner in Calcutta, the focus was on encouraging entrepreneurs from West Bengal and the Northeastern states. 바카라There is a perception that the business climate is not conducive in Calcutta and east India,바카라 Bucknell told Outlook in an interview.
For the uninitiated, the West Bengal government has been stuck with an 바카라anti-industry바카라 tag ever since chief minister Mamata Banerjee led a popular farmers바카라 agitation against industrial giant Tata Motors in 2011 before she came to power. After the Tatas were driven out, investors have by and large stayed away. This, in spite of the government바카라s attempts to shake off the stigma by hosting high-profile, industrial events such as the Bengal Global SumÂmit, an annual business meet which is attended by industrialists from across the country and around the world.
바카라Perceptions can be wrong,바카라 says Bucknell, pointing out that 바카라the government of West Bengal is opening up with the Silicon Valley Park in New Town바카라. And that 바카라TCS has its largest campus in India in New Town, Calcutta바카라. More significantly, he says, 바카라In eastern India and especially Calcutta, there is much potential, with many startups springing up in the city.바카라
Angshujyoti Das, creator of Farmneed
Among the participants who attended the conference was 42-year-old Angshujyoti Das, another Calcutta-based entrepreneur who founded and is CEO of Express Weather, and whose technology-based application, FarmÂneed, helps farmers troubleshoot. Its multiple functions include predicting the effect of weather on crops, the relationship between climatic changes and the quality and quantity of production and how certain fertilisers and pesticides can hinder or help agriculture. Explaining how the idea was developed, Das says, 바카라Agriculture and technology are key areas of investment today, and yet, growers of crops don바카라t have access to it, even though it can be the best intÂerface for knowledge. Reports of the kinds of difficulties farmers face had prompted us to develop the application through multidimensional researches related to crops, the relationship betÂween crops and the weather as well as the prevalence of pests, disease and infÂestation. It was found that farmers and growers are often ignorant about these.바카라
The Farmneed digital app provides an interactive platform for farmers too. According to Das, 바카라They can easily connect with experts and other growers of crops. The main objective is to help in protecting the crop, prevent environmental contamination and redÂuce production cost, which translates into huge benefits for investors, namely insurance providers and funding banks by greatly reducing risks of financial loss.바카라
Bucknell points out that there is a great demand for technological support to ensure such resourceful, globally workable ideas don바카라t just take off, but flourish. The British venture aims to provide that and give the businesses exposure abroad. Britain too stands to gain from the range of innovative products and services which the Indian startups offer. The endeavour is to create a mutually beneficial space for doing business; to foster a relationship that is a symbiotic one.
According to Bucknell, one of the key areas requiring technological support in India is the medical sector and startups which focus on innovations and research in the medical fields (MedTech) constitutes an important segment for investment under the British programme. Other than MedTech, the British business initiative is open to investing in several other sectors, including FinTech (dealing with financial enterprises), AgriTech (agriculture), AI (Artificial Intelligence) and Future Mobility.
Participants at the roundtable conference came from these different sectors and included 22 startup companies. While Agarwal바카라s business바카라his company which runs Jolly App is called Chatbot Technology Private Limited바카라falls in the AI category, Das바카라s startup is in AgriTech.
Sujata Chatterjee at the home of her portal, twirl.store, in Calcutta
Then there were other innovative business startups, such as Upscale Fashion Private Limited바카라s www.twirl.store, an online portal launched by 36-year-old Sujata Chatterjee, a former IT executive. 바카라I wanted to use technology for a useful venture which would benefit the socio-economically weaker sections of people who don바카라t always find themselves included in the ongoing IT revolution. I identified an area where there was demand, as well as supply, but where the two were not connected. Today, the upper and middle classes have such a surfeit of garments that discarding these has become a headache. On the other hand, there are thousands of people in the districts, villages and even in the slums in urban areas, not to mention in disaster-struck areas, who are in dire need of clothing. Using technology바카라namely Internet (a donor just needs to log on to the 바카라twirls바카라 page website) and social media, we are able to bridge the gap.바카라
Chatterjee found the British initiative extremely encouraging. 바카라Being a startup, we always look forward to platforms where we can showcase our initiative,바카라 she said. 바카라These events present an opportunity for us to reach a wider audience and increase awareness about our work.바카라
Several startups, including Das바카라s FarÂmneed, have already witnessed succÂess under the British programme. 바카라We have always been very keen to make FarmÂneed global. Our expansion plans in the UK could be possible because of such a technology and trade tie-up,바카라 he says.
To recognise the most innovative startups, the UK Government has introduced a technology awards prograÂmme. One of Britain바카라s most presÂtigious tech awards, which resulted in forty companies being taken to the UK so far, the 바카라TECH Rocketship Awards 2018 and 2019바카라, is open to Indian tech startups. The deadline for applications is OctoÂber 8. 바카라These awards are for technology startups which want to scale-up, go global and access capital from the UK market,바카라 Bucknell states, adding, 바카라I would like to see more and more startups from Calcutta, the eastern and the Northeastern regions applying.바카라
Indeed, the British deputy high commissioner stressed in his interview to Outlook that the significance of the strategic location of India바카라s eastern regÂion cannot be overemphasised in terms of global trade. It shares international borders with several countries, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Myanmar.
However, the technology and trade tie-up between Britain and India is not limited to any region. Explaining how the concept to launch such a programme emerged, Bucknell says: 바카라Britain and India have strong relations. We have a long, shared history. We have a very large, very successful Indian diaspÂora in Britain. This is a fantastic asset, as this group of people can provide what can be called a living a bridge between the two countries in terms of the flow of ideas, the sharing of technology and knoÂÂÂwlÂeÂdge.바카라 Britain, it is hoped, will be a welcÂome second home for these apps, as well as a launchpad for the leap beyond.
By Dola Mitra In Calcutta
