1947 Tech 🇮🇳: 116

Once a week newsletter: Insights on Tech, markets, startups, venture capital, and foreign investments in India

shiva singh sangwan

Jun 24, 2020

1. Donald Trump’s H-1B visa suspension: An explainer

This will hurt the US economy but on the other side, it will enhance the Indian economy.

We in India have already rolled the red carpet for our bright and hard-working talent who is looking to move back.

Come back and LET’S BUILD!

Let’s build the tech ecosystem in India, Let’s build India.

Kunal Bahl @1kunalbahl

India is the land of big opportunities 🇮🇳 🙏🏼 I didn't know this 13 years ago when my H1B visa was rejected, but haven't regretted a moment since.

Ash Lilani @AshLilani

I keep thinking of @1kunalbahl today and how a US visa issue led him to come home and be a catalyst in the creation of @snapdeal. I hope we see many many more such success stories come out of this. US's loss and India's gain.

Rahul Ganjoo @elegantlywasted

Cross-posting from LI here - anyone in the US exploring a move back to India in view of the H1b ban - pls feel to reach out. Happy to help in any way I can. Would appreciate RTs.

Hemant Mohapatra @MohapatraHemant

Since last night recvd 2 emails frm friends @ cos like Google abt returning to India. This feels different. Ppl are sick of the uncertainty; ban was a personal betrayal. Indian startups pay well (some roles are at bay area salaries) and do VERY exciting work. COME HOME AND BUILD!

Donald Trump's H-1B visa suspension: An explainer -

2. Zerodha’s Rs 60–65 crore Esops buyback plan values firm at $1 billion

Discount brokerage Zerodha will spend Rs 60–65 crore ($9M) to buy back employee stock ownership plans (Esops) this year, at a self-assessed enterprise value of Rs 7,000 crore, or around $1 billion.

This is significant because it’s the first time that a valuation is being ascribed to Zerodha, which has never picked up external capital.

There is so much room to grow in this space. To put things in perspective:

India is an emerging market and has one of the lowest retail investor participation in the world, standing at 4.45%. The US, in contrast, has almost 50% participation.

Zerodha's Rs 60-65 crore Esops buyback plan values firm at $1 billion

3. Ashish Gupta, the angel who struck gold in Flipkart sale to Walmart

Not many people know about Ashish Gupta as he keeps it very low keep.

He might be the most successful angel investor in India.

Ashish Gupta was the first angel investor in Flipkart who invested Rs10 lakh ($14k) in 2009, stands to make $20 million

Gupta stands to make an even bigger killing from his bet on software maker MuSigma in which he again made an angel investment, albeit a larger one than his Flipkart bet, and got an exit at roughly $50 million

Ashish Gupta, the angel who struck gold in Flipkart sale to Walmart

A few tweets:

Amrish Rau @amrishrau

Murthi, Ramdorai, Premji and Nilekani were the catalyst of first wave in Indian Software Trump might be the catalyst for the second wave in Indian tech

pj @BeingPractical

2010-2015 : Many US startup ideas came to India. 2015-2020 : Many Chinese startup ideas came to India. 2020 onwards: Indian startup ideas are going to take on the world. Already seeing few going to South East Asia, more will happen.

Worth your attention:

Abu Dhabi state investor Mubadala plans to grow Asia portfolio Link
Angel investors urge Indian startups to identify growth opportunities amidst the COVID-19 crisis Link
Funding from Chinese investors may dry up for Indian startups Link
AngelList’s ‘Carta for India’ product helps startups manage cap table and employee grants for free Link
Zomato’s Pankaj Chaddah announces the launch of his startup — Mindhouse Link