SUMMARY
What’s Really Wrong With Startup Events in India
As the ‘me-too startup’ mad rush of 2015 subsided in 2016, the reality of India’s unpreparedness with respect to retaining users and viable business models, dawned upon the ecosystem. However, with “Startup India” stepping in and “Digital India” becoming the new watchwords, the nation sang a different tune. And now, with the onset of 2017 and the recent demonetisation drive, we are given the shiny new anthem of “Cashless India.”
While every New Year may bring along a new set of buzzwords, what never changes is asking the right set of questions. The year gone by has brought with it a number of pressing questions, as technology has finally started to trickle down past the upper echelons and tech elites (read geeks) and into the hands of the common man!
We move into times of accelerating change and deepening uncertainty and we need to get smart about how to talk to one another.
For this, we need to be able to overcome our religious, social, political, and economic differences, find common ground – build meaning and purpose, and set directions together. We need to be able to think together as groups, as teams, as communities, and as citizens.The trouble with much of what passes for communication, today, is that it’s all crosstalk. It’s a din, not a dialogue.
And dialogue is what The Junction is really about – a dialogue on the impact that technology will have on our daily lives. A conversation on how can we prepare India for the looming disruption of the next industrial revolution that threatens to wipe out over 60% of our jobs. And one that holds the potential to change the very meaning of being human.
We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future. – George Bernard Shaw
As India marches towards a brave new digital future, the responsibility of that future lies in the hands of you and me – people that are at the helm of new age technology enterprises. The Junction is bringing together leaders of such enterprises, to facilitate a conversation on the future of India’s tech and startup ecosystem.
Technology is changing the playing field altogether and it’s no longer about celebrating individual success stories, learning from failures, or cheerleading the launch of yet another me-too startup. With most other startup events doling out the same rehashed gyaan and feel good stories, no wonder we have a glut of them…and are sick of attending them!
Conferences originated from the need of creating opportunities for diverse sets of people to come together around a shared belief and engage in meaningful conversations. Unfortunately, all we get today are monologues by “speakers” and “gurus” on a quest to massage their egos. If one wanted to listen to a monologue, why not shoot a video and put it up online instead of calling it a conference?
So What Can You Expect At The Junction?
The Junction is an invite-only gathering of 300 key stakeholders of India’s technology and startup ecosystem – bringing together 70+ partners of India’s top VC firms, 50+ Corporates, HNIs, Family Offices & PE Funds, 80+ Founders of India’s leading startups and Investors & Delegates from 15+ countries looking to invest/expand into India.
The agenda is to initiate a conversation on how these entities can work together on proportionately distributing the impact of technology on India and prepare it for the 4th Industrial Revolution taking the world by storm. The key focus sectors of The Junction 2017’s agenda include Finance, HealthCare, Retail, Enterprise & Media.
We shall be unveiling the detailed agenda and sessions over this week. In the meantime, you can get a sneak peak and stay updated on the goings on, by heading on over to our website!
While most conferences cater to the early-stage market, they are not the real audience for The Junction. We have received 1000+ applications from early-stage startups that we have categorically rejected. The delegates comprise CXOs, Investors, and Corporates from a diverse set of industries looking to understand how technology is going to impact their industries and how they can leverage it!
The next frontier lies in the transformation of traditional industries by technology – and it’s going to affect each and every one of us. And, for this to begin, we believe an open dialogue on India’s digital transformation is paramount!
Welcome to the future. Welcome to The Junction.
