Microsoft India has reported that it is consolidating all start-up related offerings under a single umbrella. In alignment with the recent Microsoft Ventures announcement, Microsoft India will now offer start-ups a single point of entry to engage with Microsoft through a broad-based and holistic approach–featuring a seed fund, an accelerator programme and the community evangelism program called BizSpark.
Microsoft Ventures in India will be spearheaded by Mukund Mohan. Announcing this change, Mohan said: “Through this coordinated effort, we will now engage with entrepreneurs at every stage of their journey from ideation to maturity and support them with compelling offerings.
“Taking up this consolidated approach was crucial in a country like India where the start-up ecosystem is evolving very fast. Since 2006, there has been a 302 per cent growth in number of new companies, varied not just in terms of technology and ideas but also the support they need to be successful. Through this holistic approach, we will now be able to touch more start-ups and support them in their journey to success.”
Ravi Narayan, previously the Managing Director of MentorPartners, has joined the team and will be responsible for Microsoft Ventures Accelerator and its connections with other community initiatives. Kattayil Rajinish Menon will drive broad community engagements as part of the BizSpark program for start-ups with other accelerators, incubators, industry forums as well as Microsoft customers and partners in India.