FM Nirmala Sitharaman, creator of the iPod, and Nithin Kamath: 10 things to look forward to at TechSparks 2022

We are counting down the days to India's largest and most influential startup-tech conference, TechSparks 2022. The theme for the 13th edition of the event, to be held between November 10-12, is Building On India’s Tech Agenda.

In the past few years, India’s startup ecosystem has grown by leaps and bounds,  becoming a force to be reckoned with. The startup ecosystem in the country is driving growth, innovation, employment, and entrepreneurial spirit.

YourStory can proudly say that it has been at the forefront of the growth of these businesses, reporting on the developments, creating spaces to allow conservations about innovation, enabling discussions about what lies ahead, fostering interwoven startup communities, and doing what we do best — sharing stories that ought to be heard, and that need to be heard.

This year has been a roller-coaster ride for so many startups, and for the ecosystem,  overall, with the macro-environment changing ever so often. As we gather, once again and thankfully offline, this time, here are 10 exciting things to look forward to at TechSparks 2022.  

A session with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister Of Finance And Corporate Affairs, Government Of India, flags off TechSparks 2022 as its chief guest, taking the stage for a second time at the industry’s biggest startup event.

At TechSparks 2020, FM Sitharaman stressed the need for open dialogue between the government and the people of India. Thanking businesses for their moral courage amidst the pandemic, she said the government was listening so 'ask for what you want'.

This year, expect to hear the Finance Minister share her insights into what the government’s new policies mean for the Indian tech landscape, how the public and the private sector can interface better for synergies, and what to expect going forward on the policy side. With changes in macro-environment, new policies, and evolving guidelines, this session is a must-attend for anyone who’s part of the startup ecosystem, and beyond.

A conversation with the creator of the iPod, and co-creator of the iPhone, Tony Fadell

If you currently use an iPhone, or have ever used the iconic—and now, sadly, discontinued—iPod, you can thank Tony Fadell for it.

In a conversation with YourStory’s CEO and founder, Shradha Sharma, Fadell will talk about his journey, his new book, Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making, and how you can make epochal, world-changing products too.

If you are very lucky, you might even get your iPod signed. 

From private to public: A session with Zomato, Nykaa, PolicyBazaar, and Delhivery

If 2021 was the year of startup IPOs, 2022 saw many postpone their plans to go public. With global markets in a tizzy, how can Indian startups launch the perfect IPO?

This special, must-attend session brings to you a list of startup founders and leaders from Zomato, Nykaa, PolicyBazaar, and Delhivery to talk about their experiences of taking their startups public. The session will focus on their learnings as a publicly traded entity, the path to an IPO, and how they’re dealing with these wild market fluctuations.

Expect to walk away with meaningful insights from entrepreneurs who have walked the long, arduous walk to the public markets, and their business strategy going forward.

Meet our Tech30 cohort for 2022

Every year, YourStory unveils a prestigious list of 30 momentous tech companies that we believe have the potential to become global successes—called the Tech30.

Being a Tech30 startup unlocks several perks: you get featured in YourStory’s annual Tech30 report which is shipped out to the biggest VC firms, national governments, and tech mavericks in the world,  the finalists get to pitch to investors live and make on-the-spot deals, as well as get the opportunity for several future VC connects. Earlier editions of Tech30 have starred startups like Ola, Freshworks, LogiNext, Innovaccer, Chargebee, Capillary, and Hasura.

To date, over 430 investors have funded Tech30 startups, which have gone on to create a cumulative investment valuation of at least $7 billion, and 31,000+ jobs.

As an attendee, you’ll get to meet, interact, and learn from young startup founders who are still on their journeys to becoming a unicorn company, and explore synergistic opportunities for your own venture during our networking sessions.

You will also get free access to YourStory’s in-depth research-driven report on the state of the SMB industry, State of Women Entrepreneurship, and Unicorns in India.

Tete-a-tete with enigmatic CEOs and builders

Zerodha’s Nithin Kamath, Ola’s Bhavish Aggarwal, Byju Raveendran of BYJU'S, and The Good Glamm Group's Darpan Sanghvi are among the many exceptional CEO-founders you’ll get to meet at TechSparks 2022, and apart from talking shop, of course, we endeavour to deep dive into their founder-psyches, and what makes them tick.

Nithin Kamath will talk about what lies at the core of Zerodha’s success, and what lies ahead, while Ola’s Bhavish Aggarwal will give us his nuanced analysis of the state of electric vehicle manufacturing industry in India.

You’ll also hear from Byju Raveendran and Divya Gokulnath, who have shown resilience and resolve during a difficult time, about what’s next for the world’s most valued startup in the post-pandemic world. At their session on Day 2, we will pose a pertinent question: as the Indian edtech market shrinks, will global expansion be the new resolve for BYJUs?

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State of Indian startup ecosystem in October: Leveraged

A chance to meet your favourite creators

An industry formed of influencers, independent creators and social media personalities who monetise their digital audience has a new moniker - ‘Creator economy’.

At TechSparks 2022, creators and social media influencers will talk about the key challenges of content creation today, like cracking the content distribution formula, monetisation, breaking down platform algorithms, and managing creators. 

We have a list of brilliant creators lined up for the event including Ankur Warikoo, Shlok Srivastava, Manish Pandey, and Tarini Shah, among others.

Hello marquee investors

Back offline after two years, you can expect to catch your favourite Venture Capital firms, angel investors, enablers, and brands, as they discuss the Indian startup-tech landscape, prophesize when their purse-strings will rid themselves of the sweater (because ‘funding winter’, get it?), and strike on-the-spot deals. No better time to catch them and make that elevator pitch than when they’re fresh off the grill talking about India and its bright, startup-led future.

TechSparks has hosted over 500,000 attendees, more than 300 global leaders, industry bigwigs, and tech moguls over the last few years.

Previously, TechSparks has hosted investors like Prime Venture Partners, Accel, Kalaari Capital, Matrix Partners, Naspers, 3one4 Capital, and Nexus Venture Partners, among others.

Connecting with like-minded techies and entrepreneurs

One of our audacious goals at YourStory is to become a platform that connects all parts of the startup ecosystem, and foster a sense of community and camaraderie as we each embark on our own lonely journey of building a world-class business.

Connections are important. To quote the ‘Best Woman in Business’ award winner on TV series Fleabag, “people are all we’ve got”. And only when people come together can we create something that impacts the world.

TechSparks 2022 provides the space and opportunity for like-minded techies, entrepreneurs, and business leaders to meet others who have led disruption and innovation in their sectors.

You can not only hear these leaders talk during panels, but ask them questions, catch them between sessions, exchange ideas, opinions, views, and grow knowledge and network at this year’s TechSparks.

Interact with your favourite brands, and snag some offers and discounts to get you started on your building journey

The event sees participation from a lot of different companies, including  some very cool digital marketing companies, co-working spaces, and cloud computing geniuses, who put up stalls to showcase their products and offerings. 

In the past, TechSparks has hosted companies like WeWork, Microsoft Azure, Razorpay, Perfios, AWS, Google Cloud, HSBC, Akamai, Snowflake to come and provide offers and discounts for attendees.

Join us in the official launch of YS Gulf and YS Life

TechSparks is the official platform for the launch of YourStory’s most recent editions — YS Gulf and YS Life.

YS Gulf is the new go-to platform for startups and businesses in the Middle East. It aims to enable cross-border innovation and collaboration between India and the Middle East.

YS Life is YourStory’s premium lifestyle and culture digital magazine, covering 12 beats including books, music, wine and food, travel, and beyond.

While both these platforms are live already, we hope to celebrate these two new additions to YourStory with you, and we hope you join us as these platforms get ready to take their flights.