Band of Angels in Delhi

Band Of Angels open shop in Delhi.
Started in April 2006, the Band of Angels is a unique concept which brings together highly successful entrepreneurs and CEOs from India and around the world who are interested in investing in start up / early stage ventures which have the potential of creating disproportionate value. The Band , in addition to money, provide constant access to high quality mentoring, vast networks and inputs on strategy as well as execution. The Band members, because of their background are better able to assess the potential and risks at the early stage.

The Band looks at a broad spectrum for investments :
- IT products & services - High end BPO / KPO
- Retail - Biotech & Pharma
- Internet - Media & Entertainment
- Leading edge technology in telecom & embedded domains

The Band looks at investing typically upto USD 100,000 to USD 1 mn. and exiting over a 3 to 5 year period through an IPO, M&A or strategic sale. The Band may consider investments over a million dollars but is likely to do so through syndication.

web page : http://www.boaindia.com

Alternative Energy Urjankur Fund

IL&FS Investment will manage the Urjankur Fund, a venture capital fund set up by Government of Maharashtra for non conventional energy generation. The fund will have a corpus of Rs 418 crore, out of which Government of Maharashtra will contribute Rs 218 crore over a period of three years and the rest will be raised from private sector.Urjankur Fund will support commercially viable alternative energy projetcs. “These projects will be developed on 80:20 debt equity ratio. If an individual sugar factory could contribute Rs 1 crore towards equity, the balance Rs 3 crore will come from the Urjankur Fund,” Maharashtra's minister for non-conventional energy, Vinay Kore, said.

source : http://www.vccircle.com/blog/_archives/2006/7/19/2136890.html
ILFS: http://www.ilfsinvestmentmanagers.com/

The Wall Street Journal Asia’s Asian Innovation Awards 2006

In keeping with traditions of Asian invention, you are invited to nominate yourself or your company for the 2006 WSJA Asian Innovation Awards, and the Global Entrepolis@Singapore Technopreneur Award. AIA entries can be new methods and technologies, or new ways to apply existing knowledge in creative ways to improve quality of life or productivity. Entries for the GES Technopreneur Award will be judged on innovation, technology and the commercial potential of their proposals. Entries may come from business or academia in Asia Pacific. Winners will be profiled in a special issue of The Wall Street Journal Asia on November 1, and will be honored at a special gala event in Singapore.

Deadline for entries: September 1, 2006

For more information on the Asian Innovation Awards, please visit www.dowjones.com/innovation/asia
Contact person : Eva Yim, Assistant Marketing Manager , The Wall Street Journal Asia , 25/F Central Plaza , 18 Harbour Road
Email: eva.yim@dowjones.com, Tel: (852) 2831 2585, Fax: (852) 2503 1549

Lemelson Recognition and Mentoring Programme

Lemelson Recognition and Mentoring Programme, is a joint initiative of
IIT-Madras and Rural Innovations Network. This programme seeks to recognise
grass-root innovators and their supporters. For more on this programme, pl
visit www.lramp.org.

One group of supporters is "Investors" and "Enterprises". Many investors
have funded innovators and related enterprises, while entrepreneurs have
helped them scale-up. L-RAMP believe of the need to recognise these
efforts and instituted awards and invites nominations from such investors and entrepreneurs ( from Tamilnadu).

The award comprises of a certificate, cash award of Rs 20,000/- and a
trophy. The awards will be distributed at a glittering ceremony which will
be held later this year.Last date for receiving nominations is the 31st July 2006.

Contact : "PAUL"

VC confort zone

Tradionally research findings always found that VCs are more comfortable in investing in nearbu ventures.Paper by Miruchi & Stearns 2002) says the probability that a VC will invest in a target venture is reduced sharply as distance to the target increases.

Now, the 2006 global survey, released Wednesday (July 12) by Deloitte & Touche and the National Venture Capital Association, found that China and India remain the top overseas targets for U.S. venture capitalists. While many investors continue to focus on the U.S. market, the survey also found that 53 percent of U.S. respondents want to expand overseas.The survey found that China (30 percent) and India (25 percent) topped respondents' list of targets for global investments. U.S. investors picked India as the top country outside the U.S. with "access to quality entrepreneurs." China topped the list of countries offering the best access to foreign markets.
Source : http://www.eet.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=190302497

Workshop On "Cluster Development"

UNIDO Cluster Development Programme has promoted the cluster development concept during the last ten years in India, through a range of cluster initiatives. While the initial set of initiatives focused on economic growth through collective efficiency, of late UNIDO has taken up two action research projects, each of 3 years’ duration, with emphasis on two critical areas – clusters and poverty alleviation, and secondly, clusters and social responsibility of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Both subjects are of immense significance, especially with respect to the social dimensions of economic growth.

While the project on poverty & clusters will be concluded in June 2006, the one on social responsibility of SMEs is planned for completion in May 2008. Both Projects are funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) with the objective of exploring the changes required in standard cluster development approach that will then help addressing these social issues more effectively and efficiently.

In order to share and validate the learning that emerged during project implementation and also to explore new dimensions not covered in the project by UNIDO, but that can enrich growth with social development, UNIDO and SDC has organised a 2-day Workshop on “Cluster Development and Social Issues: Preliminary Findings and Way Forward”. The workshop was held at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi on the 10th and 11th May, 2006.

The minutes and some of the key presentations made during the workshop can be downloaded from http://www.smeclusters.org/workshop.htm

Ekta Incubation Centre

Ekta Incubation Centre, located in St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata. supports incubation in this region comprising of the states of West Bengal (7 Universities), Orissa, Bihar, Tripura, Assam & The North Eastern States.

For details click on http://www.wbutekta.org/about_us.htm

Innovations from Brazil

Fabiano Gallindo in this blog http://inovelab.blogspot.com/
covers extensively Barzilian innovations. Check out now.

Best of Amul

Amul is the best brand in India.Cola firms may spend millions on advertisement but they pale into insignificance in comparision with Amul advts on simplicity and creativity.
Take a look at the best of Amul, the best of advertsing in the world at:
http://www.amul.com/hits.html

Accessing Early-Stage Risk Capital in India

See report of Rafiq Dossani, Stanford University & Asawari Desai, TiE Inc at
http://iis-db.stanford.edu/pubs/21184/Risk_Capital_India_June_2006.pdf
The study reviewed the private risk capital industry in India, covering angel investments, venture capital, private equity and other funding sources1 available for early-stage firms. 175 capital providers, venture-funded firms, regulators and policymakers were interviewed and 42 respondents completed questionnaires