ITsAP - HeadStart Software Products Showcase and Awards

HICC, Novotel, Hyderabad, 12-13 March, 2010

ITsAP (formerly HYSEA) & HeadStart Foundation are jointly hosting the "Annual Software Products Showcase, Awards and Conference 2010”. Other than the award function, the event will also have panel discussions, an expo and interactive lounge sessions. Overall, the event will bring together CEOs, VCs, investors and others in the support eco?system to share views and experiences on entrepreneurship and IP creation.Nominations received for ITsAP Software Product Awards will automatically be considered for HeadStart National Product Awards and TiE-ISB Connect. Product award categories for Startups include Consumer, Enterprise and Emerging areas such as Clean Tech, Mobile and Social Entrepreneurship. Nominations for ITsAP awards also include established Indian Companies, MNC Products, and Student Entrepreneurs.

About ITsAP: The Information Technology & Services Industry Association of Andhra Pradesh, ITsAP (Formerly HYSEA) is a registered non-profit apex body with more than 300 members, representing the software industry in Andhra Pradesh. For more details, visit: www.itsap.org

About HeadStart: The HeadStart Network is the first of its kind initiative in India to promote and form an innovation ecosystem comprising entrepreneurs and startups. For more details, visit: www.headstart.in

Audience: 500-800+ CEOs, senior decision makers, IT professionals at leadership level, product eco-system players, software developers from consulting, IT & ITES, service providers like HR consultants, and academia. 100+ startups, 50+ established MNCs, 10+ investors/VCs

Program details for March 12, 2010

Panel & Lounge Session Details

1 Unconventional Sources of Funding

A frequently heard grouse of entrepreneurs is lack of funding for start ups in India. While it holds true in several cases, in many others the root cause is lack of understanding of funding sources beyond VCs and Angel Networks. This panel would focus on such unconventional sources of funding. It would bring together some entrepreneurs who have benefited from such unconventional sources and some decision makers at such unconventional sources.

2 Early Setbacks as bedrock for success later

It is said that early setbacks set the stage for successes later. Still failure is seen as something to hide and be embarrassed about. This panel will have entrepreneurs who drew lessons from their early setbacks and how these early setbacks set the stage for success later.

3 Indian products going global

It’s a received wisdom that Indian product companies fail in selling in global markets. The reasons usually cited are product mismatch due to distance from the customers, cultural dissonances, need for investments into local offices and relationships etc. Some entrepreneurs have challenged this received wisdom and have built revenues from international markets. This panel would invite some of the entrepreneurs to share their stories and learning and also discuss how other entrepreneurs should approach international markets.

4 Challenges in social entrepreneurship

For a developing economy like India with millions below the poverty line, social entrepreneurship is not yet a mainstream option. So what impedes India from producing more social enterprises? Why do such enterprises struggle to scale? What can we learn from existing successful social entrepreneurs and how can we accelerate the creation of large profitable social enterprises?

5 Business Plan mistakes

How to make a business plan continues to be a big question in the minds of first time entrepreneurs. Instead of yet another talk on this subject, this session would have two seasoned entrepreneurs and investors recreate a business plan riddled with mistakes that they have seen and walk through it for the benefit of the audience. Two entrepreneurs from the audiences would join them on stage to pose alternatives and to question.

6 Indian growth as a driver for entrepreneurship

India has had unprecedented growth in the last decade. This has opened up opportunities in markets that did not exist earlier. Several entrepreneurs have taken advantage of these new markets and created businesses that did not exist in India earlier. This session brings together some of these entrepreneurs and discusses how to spot such opportunities early and seize them.

7 CIO Forum

In an interactive session with entrepreneurs and members from startups, CIOs give insights into issues they are facing and industry trends observed by them. They comment on the relevance and impact of some of the solutions and ideas they have seen or were presented to them. CIOs will also take time to interact with startups at the expo and event.

Conference website: http://conf.headstart.in

Confirmed Panelists: http://conf.headstart.in/2010/hyderabad-mar/agenda.php

Blog entry for more details: http://headstart.in/2010/03/03/headstart-hyderabad-indias-finest-startups/