Rise of Tier II & III cities in innovation map is one of the most exciting trends: TiE Global Chair

Founded in 1992 in Silicon Valley, TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs) Global is a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship through mentorship, networking, education, and funding opportunities.

- RITWIK MUKHERJEE

The TiE Kolkata Chapter, on its part, has been instrumental in nurturing innovation and empowering start-ups across West Bengal by hosting flagship events like TiECON, investor sessions, and mentoring programmes.

Murali Bukkapatnam, the newly appointed Chair of the TiE Global Board of Trustees, recently visited TiE Kolkata Chapter.

Speaking to The Statesman, Bukkapatnam shares his perspectives on wide-ranging issues including entrepreneurship beyond gender – the role that TiE Kolkata has played in nurturing women-led start-ups, fostering collaborations among start-ups, the entrepreneurial ecosystem in West Bengal – exploring current opportunities, challenges and many others.

Q: How has the Indian start-up ecosystem evolved over the years? What are the most significant changes/trends?

A: Over the last decade, the Indian start-up ecosystem has transformed into a cornerstone of our economic growth story.

In the early days, entrepreneurship was seen as a risky path—today, it's aspirational.

We've moved from a scarcity mindset to one of abundance—abundance of talent, access to global capital, digital infrastructure, and most importantly, a culture that embraces innovation and failure.

We are now seeing deep-tech start-ups, SaaS unicorns, D2C brands, and social impact ventures co-exist in the same ecosystem.

The rise of Tier II and III cities in the innovation map is also one of the most exciting trends I've observed.

Q: Where does Indian start-up ecosystem stand vis-a-vis its global counterparts?

A: India is now among the top three start-up ecosystems in the world.

What sets us apart is our demographic advantage, digital public infrastructure like UPI and Aadhaar, and the scale at which we can experiment.

However, we must continue to evolve—from chasing valuations to building sustainable, problem-solving businesses.