A year of Made in India apps, and a promising future for Indian startups
From online learning and casual gaming to podcasting and stock trading to mental health assistants and job search — YourStory’s weekly App Friday column held a mirror to all the key trends of 2020.
The year 2020 was the year of Made in India apps. Following the ban of hundreds of Chinese mobile apps by the Indian government, many local app developers joined the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ bandwagon to create the Indian alternatives of these banned apps.
From online learning and casual gaming to podcasting and stock trading to mental health assistants and job search — YourStory’s weekly App Friday column held a mirror to all the key trends of 2020.
According to Pankaj Makkar, Managing Director of Bertelsmann India Investments, as the curtains are drawn over the year, one can predict a more stable future for the Indian startup ecosystem.
He adds, “If we all thought that India would have X number of unicorns, we feel this will become 2 to 2.5X unicorns... Businesses that have come in after 2015 are operating very sensibly in terms of unit economics, burning cash, and more. This translates into building very sustainable businesses that are valuable and may offer a good exit at some point.”
A research conducted by Mastercard states that 93 percent of girls (aged between 12 and 14) surveyed said they are interested in pursuing a career in STEM, of which 38 percent said they may not take up a position as the industry is male-dominated.
This reflects the urgent need to recognise accomplished women in the field to show women can make it and rise in the world of STEM. Get inspired by these women who are making the world more exciting through their unique innovations.
(From L to R clockwise) Aaksha Meghawat, Sasikala Devi, Rashmi Mogha, Padma Priya Gaggara,
Maggie Inbumuthiah, Jaya Jagadish, Supriya Rathi Bagri.
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Quote of the week:
“For the VC industry, 2020 was full of chaos. I hope 2021 brings a lot of good news and stability across all areas. Vaccines are coming, and once they start administering them under emergency use, we will be at the end of the COVID period.”
Pankaj Makkar, Managing Director of Bertelsmann India Investments
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