Inspired by the dotcom era and fuelled by the growing need for change and innovation, India is witnessing a spurt in activity from first generation entrepreneurs. Businesses started by such first-timers, also called as ‘startup companies’ are basically companies with limited operational history – less than a decade. These are the stars which attract others to take that plunge of chucking a full-time job and starting up a business venture. However, it is not necessary that all these stars shine bright – in fact the failure rate of startup companies is pretty high. So, within these hundreds and thousands of startups, how does one identify the ones who have got hold of that ‘secret ingredient’?
We have tried here to list down the top 10 startups in India – identified them on various parameters such as growth till date, originality of idea, awards and recognitions received etc. Further in order to include a diverse set of companies, we have tried to feature companies who primarily serve specific age-groups – starting from kids & youngsters to senior citizens. This list does not mean that the ones not mentioned herein are laggard; it is just to pick nick the best of the best!
Hello Intern: This student job portal was started by four young IIT Bombay students in 2006, with their own bittersweet experiences of looking for internship opportunities. As of today, the portal is being used by 800 companies looking for undergraduate and graduate level interns across locations in India. The company has bagged various awards and recognitions in the past, and has been featured in CNBC TV 18’s series Young Turks.
Greycaps India: Launched in 1999, it is India’s largest on-stage quizzing and Knowledge Services Company, with presence in India, Middle East, Singapore, UK & US. The company has focused on the mantra of quizzing as an alternative tool for education, and has devised suitable programs for schools and colleges. It has now expanded to serve corporate clients looking for value addition to their employees through quizzes.
GoSports India: With an aim to help people build viable careers in sports, the company was founded in 2006 by three former sportspersons. GoSports in a 360 degree athlete development and management company which focuses on funding and infrastructure facilities for the right talent. Once a trained candidate makes it big, the company stands to make money through marketing and event management of the candidate.
Flipkart: This online e-commerce store has really come a long way since its inception in 2007. Started as an online book store, it has now expanded into 10 other categories including mobile phones, personal & health care products etc. It has to its credit a record of selling over 11.5 million book titles, more than 1 million registered users and sale of 28,000 items per day.
Sacred Moments: Prakash Mundhra, the founder of Sacred Moments, came up with a unique offering of festival-specific puja kits. The idea has been well received by corporate clients for employee gifting option and people who do not have the luxury of time to shop for small items. Pooja kits are available for 22 occasions including Diwali, Holi, Durga Pooja, Graha Pravesh and has been branded as ‘Blessingz’ and ‘Bhakti’.
Attero Recycling: Started in 2006, the company is an integrated electronic waste disposal firm. Equipped with a 36,000 tonne waste processing plant at Roorke, the company collects e-waste from 20 cities in India through a meticulously built back-end logistics. It is the first e-waste recycler to be registered with the Central Pollution Control Board, GoI. The company has been recently selected as a Technology Pioneer 2012 by the World Economic Forum.
Quillpad: Quillpad is a free online Indian language typing tool. The technology has been developed by Tachyon Technologies. Quillpad allows users to type instinctively and gives out correct translations for the same. The main idea behind the technology development was to enable users, not very proficient with English language and grammar, to be able to send emails in native Indian languages.
Voicetap: With offices in Mumbai and Delhi and a well built call centre network, this company focuses to connect people in need of advice with genuine experts on a subject matter. According to the company’s founder, Mrigank Tripathy, the concept has originated from the Indian psyche to take opinion from experts, when in doubt. The company has received many accolades till date, and was shortlisted for the global Mobile Premier Awards.
Freshdesk: Founded by Girish Mathrubootham, the company is a SaaS solution for multi-channel customer support including knowledge base and social CRM support. In lay man’s terms it basically helps small companies with support to manage their customers through email, phone, website and social networks such as Twitter etc. Freshdesk has recently won the Microsoft BizSpark Startup Challenge of the year 2011.
Jaipur Rugs: This company has taken the risk to enter into the otherwise unorganized market of carpets and rugs manufacturing in India. The company has been able to create a brand name for itself, and its founder Mr. Nand Kishore Chaudhary, has been awarded as the Entrepreneur of the Year Award by Ernst & Young in 2010. A case study on the company was included by C.K. Prahalad in his book “The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid” where it was cited as an example of successful social business.
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—About our writer:
Rasika has worked as a Management Consultant with KPMG and PWC and specializes in the areas of energy and infrastructure sectors. She has presented twice at the PowerGen India & Central Asia conference, on issues of public/private partnerships and fuel sourcing. A chemical engineer and an MBA by qualification, she takes keen interest in content generation and has actively participated in thought leadership articles for her previous employers.
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