Move over Alexa, Facebook's Portal is here; Ashish Bhasin charts the roadmap to success

Wednesday October 10, 2018 , 3 min Read

"Hey, Portal, call mom!" Move over smartphones, because you can now use Facebook’s very own ‘video chat device’, Portal and Portal Plus. Designed with Facebook's very own AI software 'Smart Camera', these devices sense movements and automatically zoom and pan a video. They also have a 'Story Time' feature that lets parents tell children stories over video chat with enhanced digital filters. Neat, right?

Image : shutterstock — The Portal and Portal plus mark Facebook's foray into the devices space

In less than 10 years of entering the market, Dentsu Aegis Network dislodged an old rival to become the second largest advertising company in India. Led by Ashish Bhasin, Chairman and CEO, South Asia, DAN bet on the digital space before anyone else did, and hit the bull's eye! With 13 acquisitions under his belt, Ashish has made many millionaires. In fact, DAN is known to be the type of acquirer that entrepreneurs love to work for – many founders whose companies it acquired have stayed on, and continue to thrive.

Ashish Bhasin, Chairman & CEO, South Asia, Dentsu Aegis Network

Launched in 2016, this startup was initially written off before Flipkart bought it. Now, UPI-based payments app PhonePe has over 100 million customers. How? "By not going after valuation," says Founder and CEO Sameer Nigam. Keeping away from raising large amounts of capital, staying lean and growing fast, PhonePe is focussing on the cost of acquisition, and what it is capable of building and scaling up.

Sameer Nigam, Founder and CEO of PhonePe

HDFC Bank launched an Accelerator Engagement Programme (AEP) under the Bank’s Centre of Digital Excellence (CODE) to gain early access to potential fintech ideas and innovative solutions in the areas of AI, ML, analytics and RPA. The programme hopes to create a mutually beneficial ecosystem with leading global startup accelerators to work as a partner in the digital ecosystem and encourage the spirit of innovation.

HDFC Bank's AEP will help it gain early access to potential fintech ideas and innovative solutions

Where will the next startup destination be? According to Minister Rohan Khaunte, Goa has plenty of sunshine to be the next IT hub of India. Already a globally acknowledged tourist hotspot, the state is now on a mission to showcase its other side – as the go-to destination for IT firms and startups. Planning huge policies and incentives to support ideas and innovations, Minister Khaunte's goal is to create a startup culture in Goa where the youth can become job creators, and not job seekers.

Goa can be the next IT hub, says Minister Rohan Khaunte

Two months ago, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman gave the Indian startup community a chance to stand up and defend their country by solving challenges like developing see-through armour, laser weaponry, unmanned surface and underwater vehicles, and AI in logistics. Already several startups are working in the defence sector with unmanned aerial vehicles, and IoT powered border control - we bring to you five.