Startups in Kerala are energetic and dynamic. I wish more startups are successful. More focus should be placed on how we can help them towards this goal, Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Rajeev Chandrasekhar told Channeliam.com founder Nisha Krishnan in an interview. The Union Minister was on a three day visit to Kerala.
How do you see the start-ups in Kerala?
My aim during this visit was to create awareness of the growing opportunity for the startup ecosystem and technology startups. I am very impressed with what I have seen. The energy of the Kerala startups is as energetic as the ones in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune or anywhere in the country. And I see no reasons why they can’t be as successful as those. I am a person who originally started a startup in the late ’90s in Kerala. I am also a startup entrepreneur in Kerala. I would like more and more Kerala startups to be successful. And, I hope the three days of interactions with these startups have helped them in some sense, motivating them to be focused on their success. My ministry and team will do everything possible to help the Kerala entrepreneur network.
What about the C-DAC products?
All the products are having cutting edge technologies and have been developed with much hard work. But I have given clear instruction to C-DAC that they must work with startups and make sure these products are commercialised. The products should be reached in the market and consumers. There won’t be a success with lab technology. A laboratory to startup and a laboratory to market will be a successful model.
What about jobs in upskilling and reskilling?
It is a new normal. The digitalisation of business, digitalisation of lifestyle, digitalisation of government is at an unprecedented high rate. So, digital learning, digital technologies, and digital skills are required by everybody. Digital element is inevitable for all now even if it is a housewife, a youngster or pensioners in the ‘new normal. Whether you are an engineer in a software company or a normal citizen, skilling yourself in these new technologies is the way to stay relevant in the coming years and post Covid world.
What is your advice to MSME’s and startups in Kerala?
If you look at my story or hundreds of other success stories in India, success has come through hard work, focus and determination. It has come through a sense of being determined to focus on your goals. The quality of work, the opportunities and the support that is available to startups today was never there even five years ago. This is the best time to be a startup, but you need to be hardworking and very focused on innovation and you need to be very clear that you need to get into the market very quickly. If you do that, you will be successful. If you are not successful, don’t get disappointed, get up and start again.
