Need more commitment from government, say Bengaluru's upcoming entrepreneurs

Bengaluru: Invest Karnataka 2016' may have ended with promises of job creation and bringing in investment of Rs 1.33 lakh core in some 147 projects, but for the city's upcoming entrepreneurs this is simply not enough. They want more commitment from the government and also transparency in making all the deals a reality.

However, being around business bigwigs and hearing the likes of industries minister, R.V. Deshpande, and Mohandas Pai speak was clearly inspirational for 34-year-old Vivek Gupta, founder of Licious, a successful meat delivery start-up. He gushes that Karnataka has always been an entrepreneur- friendly state providing a conducive environment for young people looking to do business.
These mega meets come through for small start-ups as the entrepreneurs feel encouraged,†he says, as co-founder of Licious, Abhay Hanjura, nods in agreement.

"We went there and experienced what goes on behind the curtains. It was great understanding how things work at a deeper level and were impressed with the ideas flowing there. The beauty is that people like Mohandas Pai and Narayana Murthy see a future in the young generation. They see us as a promise for the future and have so much of confidence in us. That kind of encouragement is needed for small start- ups which are trying to jostle their way through the competitive market," he says .

Both agree that bureaucracy and red tape in the state is an issue that needs to be addressed. "We entrepreneurs are never in the limelight and we need help with the licensing and other initial support that is required by start-ups and so if the government helps us with certain issues then a lot of innovation can take place in the country given the kind of brains we have," adds Vivek.

The young entrepreneurs also make it clear that transparency is another issue that needs to be worked on. Anil Shetty, social entrepreneur and Time Investor, who is also involved in start-ups like Fly with VIP, Licious and App Guide, points out that the state government now has a window of only two years and needs to get cracking.

May be the results will be seen after five years. That is acceptable but they should not sit on things and should be open about their commitment to creating jobs and setting up industries. That would be win-win for all the stakeholders involved," he stresses.