The Prime Minister of Netherlands, Mark Rutte is all set to visit Bengaluru on 25 May.

The Country wants to strengthen  the innovation ecosystem with India efficiently. This comprises the setting up of Startup Link in India. Startup Link is an umbrella initiative in order to help Dutch startups explore the Indian market. This trip for Mark Rutte plays a vital role in pertaining to Netherland’s focus toward India.

It could also be understood by the fact  with a 120 member business trade delegation, with two ministers and the mayor of the Hague to Bengaluru, the Netherlands-India delegate is the country’s largest delegate to any foreign country!

Even larger than that of Netherland’s recent visit to China.

The Netherlands Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, Sigrid Kaag, is expected to launch the Indo-Dutch Startup Link Digital Hub, on 25 May.

According to a source, Consul General Jaap Werner stated,

The delegates will be visiting Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru, signing a number of MoUs to promote technology and Innovations at all levels universities to SMEs and corporates. In Bengaluru alone, we are expecting to sign 15-20 MoUs. The Bengaluru visit will focus to strengthen the bilateral trades and relationships in the areas of healthcare, smart cities, life sciences, waste management and cybersecurity.

Recently, Netherlands also upgraded its Bengaluru, South India office to a fully operational Consulate General. It also amalgamated various ministerial departments under one roof.

The Senior Deputy Representative Consulate General Of Netherlands, Bengaluru, Meenakshi P.R., stated that the Consulate General would also help Dutch startups soft launch in Indian territory, specifically in Bengaluru.

She also added,  IoT, 3D Printing, cybersecurity and blockchain are some of the areas where the startups under startup link can collaborate.

Apart from that, the events on 25 May also include an ‘Innovation power lunch’ where the Dutch PM will meet 30 top Indian CEOs.

However, there are over 200 Netherlands companies operating in India. While India is the fourth largest investor in the Netherlands, the latter stands fifth in India.

There are plenty of opportunities and challenges to do business in the Indian market. India has been abuzz with Startup culture now!

In India’s fast paced and constantly developing startup ecosystem, startup accelerators and incubators play a major role in helping new firms develop and grow. Following a similar strategy, iB Hubs is back with its second edition of iB Hubs Startup School. This four week acceleration program specially designed for student entrepreneurs is a  unique program that charges zero fee and zero equity and provides end to end assistance to startups.

iB Hubs Startup School envisions to develop a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in every nook and corner of India. Initiated in 2017, the Startup School aims to empower and support student entrepreneurs, helps them undergo the necessary changes, build customer centric Minimum Viable Products (MVP) and explore new channels for traction. Last year, the accelerator program received a huge response from the startup ecosystem and student community alike for their one on one mentoring sessions, empathy experiments, expert talks and much more.

The Chief Executive Officer of iB Hubs, Ms. Radha Alekhya speaking about the program said, “This initiative is focused towards instilling entrepreneurial mindset among youngsters and build role models in the society. Encouraging innovations from students would take India forward and thus bring a phase shift in the country.”

Startup School 2017 saw participation from more than 550 applications from 23 states and close to 160 educational institutions encapsulating the diversity of the Indian startup ecosystem. Out of the 550 plus applicants, 70 entrepreneurs and 40 selected startups were given the opportunity to meet the Honorable Governor of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Shri. E.S.L. Narasimhan to discuss the potential impact of their initiatives. The selected startups work in fields ranging from advanced technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT,) and Virtual Reality, to fundamental problems in the society like waste management and malnutrition among others.

Post the end of the program, the selected startups also receive constant support and guidance in several aspects of their work in the form of mentoring, business plans, product development, marketing, etc. The iB Startup School aims to help startups lay the foundations for a strong team culture, master the art of fundraising and create a positive impact on the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the country. So far, close to 450 applicants have already registered for the program substantiating the fact that enthusiasm towards entrepreneurship is growing at a rapid pace within the student community.

For more information, queries and registration details visit iB Hubs Startup School ‘18.

The Startup 5K Run 2018 is a one of its kind startup event organized by Startup Leadership Program (SLP) to support the benevolent cause of Girl Education. One of the largest startup Marathon to be conducted in India, the 5K run is an annual startup run held in Hyderabad and 5 other cities. The run aims to create awareness and raise funds for girl education and welfare of women in India and work for the #BetiBachao #BetiPadhao initiative.

The Startup Leadership Program is a highly selective training program for outstanding entrepreneurs which has funded close to 1600 successful startups to date. The 5K run provides a unique platform for aspiring entrepreneurs, exceptional founders, talented innovators and ambitious students in India to come together and run for a great cause, towards creating a more progressive India.

This year, SLP has partnered with Sankalp and Pratyusha Support in an attempt to create limitless possibilities for numerous collaborations amongst people who share the same belief. One of the main objectives of this run will be to address issues such as girls being forced to drop out of school and help improve the efficiency of welfare services meant for girls. Last year, SLP was successful in getting 96 girls access to education and this year the run aims to raise enough funds to educate close to 200 girls.

The Startup Leadership Program was first started in Boston in 2006 with seven participants.Today, SLP has helped found more than 1,500 successful startups. Since 2006, the program has grown to 28 cities in 13 countries with 15-25 fellows joining the program in every city, every year. This year, close to 500 fellows will go through the program as a single class.

The Startup 5K Run 2018 will be conducted on 4 February 2018 at IIIT Gachibowli from 6 A.M. Although the Run is promoted by the Startup Leadership Program Hyderabad, anyone can be a part of this initiative. For more details or to register visit – SLP Hyderabad 5K Run 2018