US ambassador visits Startup Village, offers support

Kochi, April 18 ( IANS) US Ambassador Richard R. Verma visited the Startup Village here and interacted with the young entrepreneurs and officials and offered his country's possible long-term cooperation in the development of startup ecosystem in India.

Responding positively to the Startup Village officials' request for facilitating young entrepreneurs' visit to Silicon Valley in the US, Verma said he will examine the possibility of supporting a Landing Pad, which is getting ready in the Silicon Valley in the US.

The Landing Pad is a platform for start-ups from India to get a first-hand knowledge of the Silicon Valley culture.

Verma was briefed by the village officials of the abundance of talent available here and also of the challenges faced by startup companies.

Verma offered to actively support the demand for bringing in the members of the Presidential Ambassadors for Global Entrepreneurship (PAGE) to the Startup Village.

Established by the US Department of Commerce, PAGE is a group of successful American business people eager to share their knowledge and experience to help develop the next generation of entrepreneurs at home and abroad.

Terming Verma's visit as a hugely positive one, senior Kerala bureaucrat P.H. Kurian said the evolving entrepreneurial culture and the rising number of young business aspirants in the state need world-class infrastructure, funding ecosystem and a change in the mindset of the people here.

"While the state government is extending all possible support for encouraging entrepreneurship, we hope to address some of these challenges in a more effective way if we have the support and guidance of investors and mentors from countries like the US," said Kurian.

The US envoy's visit is part of the Startup Villages' efforts to maintain strong bonds with the Silicon Valley.

"By building a strong tie-up with the Silicon Valley, Startup Village hopes to reach out to mentors and angel investors who are willing to invest in Indian start-ups," said Startup Village chairman Sanjay Vijayakumar.

Startup Village is the country's first public-private partnership technology business incubator jointly promoted by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) of the government of India, Technopark and MobME Wireless.