Kolkata is climbing the entrepreneurial footprints and is definitely a scalable geography for travel startups. TTF’s Kolkata version provided a plethora of opportunities to various players in the travel sector. The venue, Netaji Indoor Stadium was packed with various exhibitors who were gathered to explore the best opportunity the trade fair has to offer.
Our third edition of StartupKnockdown series with a ‘+’ in association with TTF Kolkata, grabbed eyeballs. The sessions were power packed and created a lot of buzz amongst the participants of the event. They primarily included growth hacks on how to scale your travel tech startups, what angel investment is and how you could catch an investor’s attention and one-on-one interaction with the industry veterans.
Saumyajit Guha, COO, Calcutta Angels Network
Investors session presided by Saumyajit Guha, COO of Calcutta Angels Network, harped on the intricate details on Angel Investment scenario in India making the entire gathering a gripping affair. He majorly gave insights on what startups should know about the angel investment, what they should focus on when approaching an angel investor, and what are the expectations of an angel from them. Saumyajit has 15 years of experience with a proficiency in Business Incubation & Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Development, Market Research & Analysis. Few of the tips that summarised the meeting were to invest in your business yourself, know how the funds will be used, plan our pitch smartly and above all don’t build your business with the only motive to get funds.
Ravi Ranjan, Head, Startup Warehouse Kolkata, 10000 Startups-NASSCOM
Ravi Ranjan, Head, Startup Warehouse Kolkata, 10000 Startups-NASSCOM emphasised on technology’s part in scaling a start-up’s growth. He primarily talked about how technology is creating a buzz in the travel sector and how start-ups can leverage it to serve the customers better. The entire idea is to connect to the customers, serve them, and surprise them with the awe of technology. Manual implementation is imperative but technological support provides the leverage.
Startup Knockdown Kolkata mentoring session in action
Amongst other sessions, start-ups were provided with an opportunity to interact with the mentors on a one-on-one basis for 15 mins. They got to discuss their product in detail, get guidance from the industry veterans and tips to scale their business model. Overall it was a networking break that gave these startups a boost for their business model.
StartupKnockdown began as just a pitching competition for the development of the startup ecosystem to help them grow but eventually scaled into a knowledge platform where they would not just compete but gain valuable insights and tips from the leading industry professionals.
