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The Time To Be An Entrepreneur Or Investor Is Now: Tej Kapoor
The co-executive president of Fosun RZ Capital shares insights on opportunities present in different sectors for entrepreneurs & things to look out for in funding tech-led startups
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As founding and even scaling startups pick up steady momentum, it is imperative to be aware of the key characteristics that are determinant to funding startups. Funding is an extremely critical aspect for a startup to meet its targets and vision at large. Also, in the present environment, certain sectors are at a more advantageous position than others for building startups.
Citing statistics on the Indian e-commerce scenario wherein e-commerce is only at 5 per cent penetration of the overall retail market, Tej Kapoor, Co-executive President of Fosun RZ Capital explained that if a startup is an early player, it is missing out if it is not stepping in the e-commerce sector.
He said, “The consumer market of e-commerce is going to move from $50 billion to $200 billion by 2025.” He explained that the recent Jeff Bezos visit, given the various headlines that it generated, will help new talents in the market.
Kapoor informed there is a huge opportunity in the mobility sector in India. As per the data he shared, Ola and Uber cater to less than two per cent of the overall rides and five per cent of mobile users. There is a significant possibility in the electric vehicle segment as well, in his opinion.
Deliberating on what investors look for in startups, Kapoor had several recommendations. He stated that the key focus should be in having a strong foundation and founding teams. “In your co-founding teams, there has to be someone who has the ability to raise money,’’ he added.
To substantiate his point, he quoted the examples of Sahil Barua, Founder of Delhivery; Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal among others. He noted, “The company should be willing to build a world-class team and there should be people who know deeply about the industry.”
Giving a macroscopic view, Kapoor said that for a founder, the most important aspect is the big picture of she or he wants to take the company. “There is no better time to be an entrepreneur or an investor than now,” he stated.
Kapoor is bullish on his outlook, expecting at least 60 tech unicorns in the next five years. He reminded that India is the new startup capital of the world.
Kapoor was presenting his views at BW Businessworld and BW Disrupt TechTors 2020, which took place in New Delhi on January 23, 2020.