Tech startups to get a warehouse to start ops

Budding technology entrepreneurs who are evaluating office spaces and infrastructure need not worry about rentals and overheads. The city will soon see a startup warehouse coming across where technology startups can go and start their operations. The warehouse will provide them with a 150-seat facility apart from necessary software and infrastructure that is needed to commence early operations.IT sector body Nasscom (National Association for Software and Services Companies) is finalising on the location where a warehouse could be set-up. KK Natarajan, chairman of Nasscom, says often finding decent office space with reasonable rentals and infrastructure is much of a problem for startups as they cannot spend high amounts on the same. “We aim to get the startup warehouse functional within the next 90 days. The locations are being identified in the city,” says Natarajan.The warehouse is part of the 10,000-startup programme which Nasscom announced last month to incubate, support and help fund 10,000 technology startups in the next 10 years across India. Entrepreneurs say like Silicon Valley, Bangalore should establish startup centres where basic facilities and infrastructure can be provided to ventures at minimal rates.  “Often budding entrepreneurs have to run from pillar-to-post to get things like high bandwidth internet connection. It proves expensive to find a decent place to put up the first office and acquire infrastructure like audio-video conferencing facility etc,” says Phanindra Sama, CEO, of city based startup redBus.Along with providing the warehouse, the Nasscom initiative will also expose startups to roadshows in Silicon Valley where they can network with potential investors. Moreover, from August onwards, startups will be assessed and enrolled in mentoring sessions wherein they can get adequate guidance and support from veterans.”Many people in the sector are keen to provide guidance and mentorship to young entrepreneurs to help them take their ideas ahead. This is crucial in the initial stages for businesses,” says Natarajan.Rajan Anandan, country head, Google India says their aim is mainly to create awareness about the need for having entrepreneurs and the kind of support that is now available. “We want to get people who really want to be entrepreneurs together. Tell them the opportunities that exist in India where businesses can be created.”The potential for tech startups in India is huge considering out of 40 million various businesses, only about 2 lakh use any kind of software, say experts. “There is a lot of opportunity whereby technology can be used to tap people who converse in local languages. Like that there are many other opportunities. All this has to be explained to youngsters who are looking at starting on their own. We will hold events to do that,” says Anandan.