YourStory presents the Regional Round Tables of TechSparks 2011

The technology space is witnessing unprecedented changes with the advent of cloud computing. Moving to the cloud is the new mantra and new business models are being built around it. Mobile VAS has taken a new dimension with the launch of 3G in India and also innumerable opportunities in the form of apps for tablets. Web 2.0 and the social media are revolutionizing the online space. Product technology companies are seeing new hope of building and scaling in India.Capturing the startup action from the sidelines also gives us immense exposure to the challenges that the startups face. So, we at YourStory narrowed down our action to the product tech domain last year and to encourage and promote promising product technology companies, TechSparks was born. The famous fifteen we identified have had a wider sweep of opportunities backed by the G-score of Guidewire Group. The G-score made our evaluation objective, eliminating bias and favoritism.

After two-and-half years of watching the trends, Shradha Sharma, founder, YourStory, felt that the four domains are bound to explode on a large scale in the future: product tech, mobile VAS, cloud computing, and Web 2.o. In our endeavor to contribute to making of giants in these domains, we thought the eagles among the flocking birds need to be given wider wings to fly even more higher. TechSparks provides investor handshakes, exposure to markets, networking with the YourStory ecosystem, and many other opportunities that come in when the entrepreneur community comes together under one roof. Two entrepreneurs meeting with each other can become each other’s customers. That’s one of the many possibilities.

Regional Roundtables

Instead of one gala grand finale with the jury identifying the promising startups, we sought to provide thought leadership to the domains we are focusing this year. The Regional Roundtables in four cities – New Delhi, Cochin, Chennai, and Mumbai – will feature a keynote from an inspiring path breaker, if not path maker. This will be followed by a panel discussion focused upon go-to-market strategies.

Is it enough if you build a great product? We at YourStory have been finding that the entrepreneurs who build great products lack the market reach, investor introductions, and networking with their breed. This seriously limits their growth and scalability. In order to provide fodder to the business plans of these entrepreneurs, the panel discussions will provide rich fertile grounds for seeding new ideas. The takeaways will be actionable and seeing fellow entrepreneurs in the same space will provide filip to existing business models. The successful entrepreneurs will share their journey and thoughts from which budding entrepreneurs can learn and benefit from.

The entrepreneurs will be getting a chance to rub shoulder to shoulder with these inspiring success stories that great entrepreneurs have scripted. They will have an opportunity to clarify their doubts and maybe get a mentor out of these amazing guys who have sought to innovate and take the path less traveled to build amazing businesses. That one opportunity that startups get may give them a life – a new path to tread and new barriers to break.

Would you want to miss this opportunity? Please register @ www.techsparks.in to be part of the roundtables. It’s YourStory’s endeavor for you, the budding entrepreneur.

—Venkatesh Krishnamoorthy, chief evangelist