The Indian Startup Challenge

Hello all,

A very good morning! At Proto.in, we are undertaking a structured  approach in accumulating the wisdom of the crowd on the Indian start-up challenge. As a key stakeholder in the start-up community, we request your cooperation in understanding your start-up journey so far.  Please visit http://is.gd/1mxXV to give us your side of the story.

Also, if you have the time, do join us for the on-line discussion on the topic from 10 A.M to 1 P.M today at http://chat.proto.in. The inputs from these conversations and surveys will be collated and the
results will be debated during the Proto.in event on 25th July at Pune.

On the upcoming edition, there are some really exciting updates coming soon and we expect the registrations to close one good week before the event.Do not bank on last minute requests for registration. Register now at http://www.proto.in/the-event/registrations/

Regards,

Ravi Shankar

Team Proto.in

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admin, July 3rd 2009 | Posted in proto.in

What’s triggering Startups in india?

Hello All!

This Saturday(today!) between 10 AM and 12 PM we will to do a collective
brainstorming on the key factors that are triggering start-ups in
India. Are these triggers sustainable? Are they the right reasons why
one should start up? Join the conversation on http://chat.proto.in

Also you can chip in with your initial thoughts on the topic here:
http://is.gd/1er8O (Will be a very useful dataset to analyse during
the discussion.)

Look forward to seeing you at the chat.

Regards,

Ravi Shankar

Team Proto.in

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admin, June 26th 2009 | Posted in proto.in

Attend Proto.in Pune Edition. 400 seats only!

Its been a dream journey so far. From the point, three years back, when there was very limited interest on building scalable business ventures amongst the younger generation to  now when starting up  seem to be the most sensible thing to do , its perhaps not an exaggeration to say proto.in has been at the fulcrum of this fundamental shift.

We also understand that we, as a community of technology entrepreneurs, have a long way to go in proving that we can generate significant value to our economy and the sixth edition of proto.in will most definitely be a landmark event in this direction.

To attend proto.in pune edition, you will have to register yourself online or purchase a ticket through our ticket sales partners across multiple cities. Please go here for the details.

Quick Facts:

Event Date: July 25th, 2009

Venue: Dewang Mehta Auditorium

Address: Persistant Systems, Senapati Bapat Road (Near ICC Towers), Pune

Expected Audience: 400

Ticket Cost: Rs. 750/- (Early Bird till June 20th – Rs.650/-)

See you at the venue!

Team Proto.in

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admin, June 14th 2009 | Posted in proto.in

Nasscom Emerge50

We at proto.in are often feilded the question “what happens to the startups who validate their businesss model and proto type through our initiatives?”. The answer is, they attempt to scale and emerge out as role model companies and many get stuck in the process. This is where bodies such as Nasscom, especially in the IT Sector, play a crucial role in guiding the companies.

We have a very vibrant partnership with the Nasscom emerge forum who work towards this very problem and they have come out with a great initiative – The Nasscom Emerge50 that is focussed on companies with less than 50 crores turnover. If you are running an IT services or product company and looking to scale, do nominate your company before June 15th.

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admin, June 5th 2009 | Posted in proto.in

Proto.in Pune Organizer’s Meet @ Mint Cafe

We are about 6 weeks away from the event and proto.in pune seems to be rolling ahead in full steam. If you are not yet in the know, the venue is the Persistant Systems Auditorium and the event date is 25th July. Mark your calendars now!

We will be holding a crucial organizer’s meet on June 6th, Saturday @ 5 PM, Mint Cafe. (Directions here: http://is.gd/Oj76 – Thanks to the Pune tweetup team!)

So, if you are in Pune and itching to contribute towards holding a amazing startup event in your city, we will see you at 5 PM this saturday :-)

Regards,

The Proto.in Team

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admin, June 4th 2009 | Posted in proto.in

Beyond Showcases and Moving Forward

Hello Everyone,

Its a bright Monday morning and Good morning.

I believe it has been more than three years since we as a group started thinking of startups, and wanting to help them, and at that point in time, showcasing some of the best startups India has produced – even amidst some of the adverse conditions for startup entrepeneurs – has been the way we have been doing our deed. Proto.in has build a fabulous reputation over the years, a 2000+ active and vibrant community, our presence felt in more than 13 cities across the country – and all of this built at a (monetary) cost that is extremely hard to agree. The passion and commitment of the team and YOUR suport is what has made it all happen.

We have a 120+ active volunteer group, and an extremely strong core team, and I do realize that none of them are really going to step up to the place unless, I give them the option and the chance to. Proto.in has to live on, and with the way the community adores it, I believe it will.

But here will be the true test of it. I will be stepping back into the background starting in the next few days, leaving the things in the hands of the core team, and you. Ravi Shankar, and Sudhir Syal will be the key champions who will be leading this forward. And they are set on stone that Proto.in Pune is going to rock. And I believe them.

I would request all of you personally to extend your support to them to make this happen.

As for me, I am starting to think, with the outburst of showcase events (TiE Summits, E-Summits, NASSCOM’s Emerge 50, NEN’s Hottest Startups, HeadStart etc), that we are all probably looking at one directon while there is a larger gap to fill. I am not anymore convinced that a showcase event alone is what will build the ecosystem, we have to go beyond that and support, nurture, and built a backbone first. The initiatives we’ve been playing with – Startup Lunch, The Chat etc, are giving us proof for that. I will be taking the time to perhaps visit a few places, and some of the other ecosystems, to understand, and get a slightly different perspective towards this mission that we started off with, a thousand days ago.

Thanks again for all your support, and I once again request that you contribute to making the startups win in India.

Regards,
Vijay Anand
Advisor, Proto.in

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admin, June 1st 2009 | Posted in Proto.in Update, proto, proto.in

The Twitter Follow Contest

Its that time of the year again, when we are giving away free stuff for those supporting us in all the social media. This time, we have a couple of Geeky Wifi-Tshirts to give away. We know, you all go to a gazillion conferences, and there’s always the question as to if the venue has Wifi and hows the signal like. This time, you could be part of the answer. Wouldnt that be neat?

So How do we get one? Quite simple.

Login into your favorite Twitter client, Follow @protodotin, and retweet the text “I’m Entering myself @Protodotin for the contest. Check it out! http://bit.ly/lVXVC” or even simpler, click here. Hit Enter. And you are in.

We will draw out one lucky winner (Once a week), and will ship you a gift. You know what to do now right? :) Twit, twit, twitter away!

Come back and Check the comments below for the announcement on the Winner. Contest Ends:31st May 2009

Note: One Entry Per Person.

Update:
Winner Announced: Will the real @i0exception please stand up!. Congratulations Aniruddha. Good sport everyone!
Stay tuned. There is more coming.

22 Comments

admin, May 26th 2009 | Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in proto.in, upcoming events

Proto.in Supports OMCAR 2009 – an Online Marketing Summit

OMCAR 2009, the Online Marketing Summit, is a non-profit initiative, which focuses on ‘empowering businesses to grow by leveraging the power of Online Marketing’, is being held on May 23rd, 2009, from 8:30 AM – 6:00 PM, Amity Innovation Incubator, Noida. OMCAR 2009 will bring together online marketing professionals, sales & marketing people, advertisers & brand managers, entrepreneurs, CXOs of SMBs, web developers & designers and students under one roof to provide opportunities for networking, sharing of views and interacting with the experts from the Online Marketing industry.

The key speakers at OMCAR 2009 include Mahesh Murthy (CEO, Pinstorm), Vivek Bhargava (CEO, Communicate2), Pradeep Chopra (Co-founder, OMLogic) & Alok Mittal (General Partner, Canaan Partners). The major topics on which various thought leaders will provide insights and share their own practical experiences include ‘Reaching out to your customers cost effectively’, ‘Entrepreneurial opportunities in the Online World’, ‘Digital Media Integration – SEO, PPC, SMM & Mobile’ and ‘The Future of Internet Marketing’.

In addition, the summit will showcase 3 successful online marketing case studies on businesses that’ve effectively leveraged online marketing to growth them. To add to the excitement, OMCAR 2009 will be blogged live by OMShare (the 1st from India, Online Events Promotion Platform).

“After the astounding success of OMCAR 2008, we are very proud to present OMCAR 2009. We are sure this event will be an enriching experience for anybody who is interested in or is already associated with online media and want to learn about, discuss and imbibe the latest online marketing techniques and strategies.” said Mr. Pradeep Chopra, Co founder & President, OM Careers.

Register now if you want to be part of this highly awaited online marketing event for 2009.

Proto.in is a Partner for this event.

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admin, May 18th 2009 | Posted in india, upcoming events

Proto.in Pune, Now Calling. Nominations are Open!

Amidst much excitement that is bubbling up at the Proto.in camp, we are happy to announce that the nominations for the upcoming edition are now open! The nominations will stay open till June 15th, and that is just a short stint away. Do race to it, and if you are a startup in the Indian landscape and absolutely believe that you have something to share, then this is the platform you’ve been waiting for. Nominations for Proto.in Pune

Date: July 25th, 2009
Venue: Devang Mehta Auditorium, Persistent Systems, Pune

We are doing quite a few things new this time.

1. Proto.in Pune will be a one day Extravaganza.
We are making Proto.in Pune as a one day event, but it goes on from 9am till 8pm in the evening. The day will be split into two moods. The first half of the day from 9am till 4:30pm will carry talks, sessions and interactive sessions especially aimed at educating, nurturing and supporting the startup landscape of India. There are prominent speakers such as the likes of Bharat Goenka of Tally, Pravin Gandhi of SeedFund, etc who will be talking during the event. Post 5pm, the event will take on a tone of the Oscars. 20 of the best startups – and we mean, absolutely, mindblowingly, best technology startups (includes biotech, healthcare, robotics etc), will take on the stage to deliver a world-class pitch to woo the audience with what they have been working on. Sounds exciting? Read on..

2. Three Day Bootcamp.
For the presenting companies of Proto.in Pune, there will be a three day bootcamp prepped. Day one will focus on diving into the business plan you have for the company, and combing through all the fine details. We are determined to ensure that your focus for the next one year of operations, clients and the market is set during this day. Day two, we teach you and groom you with everything that goes into the mastery of delivering a pitch. We will be bringing in some of the gurus of the advertising world, to make you create words that can sway the hardest of clients, and the toughest of journalists in buying into your story. Don’t forget to add the investors into that list. Day three, is all about the stage. We have had the priviledge of working with one of the country’s Best Event management company “BuzzWorks”. They, along with a team of stage directors will teach you how to handle yourself in front of the camera, what to do and what not to do when in a public forum – and these will help you make the most out of every speaking and forum opportunity you might get in the future – Starting with Proto.in

3. What about those who dont make the Shortlist.
We are a Startup Support platform remember? We get flooded with highly enthusiastic entrepreneurs every year, but apart from those who make it to the stage, what do we do for those who dont? Well, Every year, we ensure that we provide some feedback, especially to those who dont make it. This time and going forward, we want to ensure that we make it mandatory. All the folks who are helping us with the shortlisting are explicitly requested to spend more time with companies that arent quite there to ensure that they are helped in some way to help find the way. In our books, there are no bad companies – just companies that arent ready yet.

And thats just half the story. We already have some nominations from companies that are in the medical space, companies working on hardcore engineering solutions, companies in the defense sector, and they are all lead to just one conclusion – Its going to be one hell of a rocking event, in Pune. You simply cant afford to not be part of it.

There is a team of delegates, including high network individuals, investors, and startups coming in from abroad as well. And this will be the moment to make your mark.

The question now is quite simple. Are you going to let it pass? I surely hope not. Then Why wait. Go ahead, Nominate!

Note: Companies on being shortlisted for selection, have a Rs. 10,000 fee applicable. Nomination is free.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Regards,
Vijay Anand
Curator, Proto.in

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admin, May 18th 2009 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Proto.in Update, india, upcoming events

Proto.in is coming to Pune.

The next edition of Proto.in is slated on the date of July 25th in Pune. This will be the sixth edition of the event, and Pune which has positioned itself has a startup capital will be a major milestone for Proto.in. With the support that we’ve seen from the blogging community and the Media, there is much to look forward to, in this event. There are quite a few surprises that await this event and you are sure not to be disappointed.

There is a slight change in the format this time, and the announcements on that will be out soon. For those looking to nominate,and considering dates, these are the ones you need to jot down on your calendar.

Nominations Open on April 25th, 2009
Presenting Companies notification: July 1st, 2009
Presenting Companies Bootcamp; July First week
Event date: July 25th, 2009
Sponsorships Finalization: July 7th 2009

Keep an eye on this space, and sign up for the mailing list for updated information on the same. As usual, do keep us informed with your suggestions, and thoughts on the same. Looking forward!

3 Comments

admin, April 19th 2009 | Posted in Proto.in Update, proto.in, upcoming events
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