After the startup revolution, the whole of India is burgeoning with dreams- dreams of youths to emerge as successful entrepreneurs. It is no surprise because India holds the third position in the world list of largest startup ecosystem. Indian cities are classified by the diversity they offer but one key which holds them under the same umbrella is the startup zeal. Even the numbers are echoing from 3,100 startups in 2014; India is all set to witness more than 11,500 startups by the end of 2020.
If you are someone who is thinking to “be the change”, the following cities yearn to let you put your feet on.
1. Bengaluru
Just ask any entrepreneur in which city he/she wishes to startup, especially if he is tech entrepreneur, and the answer is stated like a shot. Yes, it’s Bengaluru. The city is an extraordinary blend of hi-quality talent, cheap real estate, capital with a long chain of investors and mentors, and last but not the least, a supportive government. With the government’s announcement of launching Asia’s biggest startup warehouse, Internet of Things Lab etc., the city is seeing immigration like anything. It hosts a wide range of startups, starting from Ola, HackerEarth, FreeCharge and InMobi to Myntra, Flipkart and Bigbasket.
Only one thing which still holds Bengaluru back is poor infrastructure- people land of spending most of their time on roads due to heavy traffic which can often become frustrating.
2. Delhi NCR
Next in the list is Delhi-an all-time trading hub due to the large acumen of Punjabi and Marwari traders. Delhi NCR, along with cities like Noida, Gurgaon and Faridabad has got a strong customer base and relatively low real estate cost. It is home to almost 23% of the startups in India. Many renowned startups like Grofers, Paytm and Snapdeal are based out of Delhi. When asked about opinion on Delhi, Entrepreneur, Angel Investor and GSF Founder, Rajesh Sawhney said,” I guess NCR/Gurgaon hub comes second to only Bangalore/Koramangala in the country. These two hubs stand head and shoulder ahead of other hubs not just in terms of startup formation and activity, but also for being the home base for large tech companies.”
3. Mumbai
Third in the list is Mumbai- the financial hub of India. Although startups would not preferably wish to settle in Mumbai if they have Bengaluru as an option, still the “City of dreams” is a house to many budding entrepreneurs. Major startups like Housing, ClearTrip etc find its base in Mumbai. It’s inefficiency in creating a strong public infrastructure has left it with immeasurable scope for improvement. Moreover, it is notoriously known for its high real estate price. Still then, 16% of the startups are concentrated in Mumbai. Cloud/SaaS startups in Mumbai boast to have raised $2516.42 million in the last 5 years altogether.
3. Chennai
Chennai, which is very aptly called Detroit of Asia, lists fourth. Apart from manufacturing, Chennai is making its presence felt by opening companies specifically related to SaaS(Software as a Service). And this is one of the reasons why it is attracting talents from all over the country. Startups like Zoho, FreshDesk, Unmetric etc are based in Chennai. It is seeing 38% of talent infusion while it is 33% in case of Silicon Valley. For the trend to achieve peak at an escalating rate, it still needs to consider opening more incubation centers by welcoming more investors and mentors to its heart. The city has just 50 angel investors as compared to almost 230 in Bengaluru.
5. Hyderabad
Hyderabad is not just known as the pearl city of India, but more famously called the IT hub of India. It is this city which took India to a new level with the help of technology. So, when it comes to tech startups, the choice is very obvious. Isn’t it? Although, political reasons affected companies which dwelt in the city, it has managed well to be back on its feet again. Almost 1000 SMEs moved out of the city when Telangana was carved out of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh. Some of the biggest companies like Google, Facebook, Microsoft, IBM, Dell and many more are centered here. Also, startups like Mapmygenome, Appvirality, MartMobi are getting nurtured in the city.
So, if you are a budding entrepreneur or a would-be entrepreneur, which city are you dwelling? Which city do you think is the best one to startup? The decision is completely yours. We would definitely like to hear from you. You can leave your views in the comment section below.
