The state of the Indian startup ecosystem in 2020 (and other top stories of the week)

Over the last decade, many Indian startups have developed innovative solutions, disrupting traditional industries, and taking on established players across the globe. And this trend will continue. 

In 2020, the Indian startup ecosystem has much to look forward to, albeit mixed with concerns over the impact of an economic slowdown.

2019 also saw a steady rise in the emergence of unicorns with nine new Indian startups entering the coveted $1 billion valuation club. This was the year when a majority of new entrants came from B2B – Druva, Icertis, CitiusTech, Delhivery, and Rivigo. 

Now, as we step into 2020, investors tell us that this year, everyone will be 'cautiously bullish' and there will be a bigger focus on more capital-efficient business models. Read more to know what 2020 holds from the investor standpoint.

Last but not least, as we enter the beginning of a new decade, we at YourStory want to continue to ignite change and help shape the future of the new Indian economy. 

For this, we want you to tell us what you want to see more. We have put together a brief questionnaire to know what you expect from us at YourStory in the next decade. Join us as we continue to harness the power of storytelling to enable positive change.

Jyoti Bansal’s Unusual Ventures takes an unusual route to invest

Unusual Ventures, a California-based venture capital firm founded by Jyoti Bansal and John Vrionis in 2018, has taken an unchartered territory into investing in startups at the seed and early stage. The VC firm closed its second fund at $400 million in November 2019, while its first one was $160 million, which was 18 months prior.

How Prashanth Susarla helped PayU grow after almost flunking out of IIT-Kanpur

In this week’s Techie Tuesday, we tell you about Prashanth Susarla and his journey, including stints at OATSystems Software, Andale, and Microsoft. Now Co-founder and CTO of Unilodgers, he grew PayU from a Rs 12,500 crore business to a Rs 60,000 crore business.

Small-town startups show the way to success with bootstrapping

While metro-based startups are chasing VC funds and focusing on products, their counterparts from Tier II and III cities are chasing customer satisfaction, solving for Bharat, and clocking steady growth.

These MBA graduates quit their jobs to build a Rs 7.9 Cr B2B marketplace

RV Enterprises was started in Bengaluru in 2016 by Vickram Singh and Ramesh Rao. The business has made Rs 7.9 crore turnover from selling granite. In 2020, the company plans to venture into a multi-category model and onboard handicrafts, artwork, and dry fruits sellers.

Great companies are built on obsession and paranoia: Gaurav Munjal of Unacademy

In this episode of 100X Entrepreneur podcast, Gaurav Munjal of Unacademy shares his insights on creating a dent in the edtech industry, and how one can grow personally and professionally.

Be comfortable in your own skin, says Sameera Reddy

Sameera Reddy, who has been viciously trolled in the past for weight gain, wants every woman to be comfortable in her own skin. The actor, on a break after the birth of her second child, will make a comeback in 2020.

How emerging technologies are set to revolutionise healthcare

In 2019, the Indian healthcare sector saw technology change the way it was perceived. While it is surpassing its challenges one after the other, 2020 is expected to be an optimistic year in terms of adopting technologies faster than before.

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