India entrepreneurship expert speaks on campus

By: Chris Curry

Posted: 11/20/08

SJSU is in the midst of Global Entrepreneurship Week, and the university celebrated by hosting a speaking event that featured a Silicon Valley capitalist with more than a decade of knowledge and expertise on one of the world's entrepreneurial focal points: India.

Naren Gupta co-founded the software company Integrated Systems in 1980, and has worked in technology engineering ever since. With a doctorate from Stanford, and sitting on the boards of Wind River Systems and Tibco Software, his Bay Area ties are well established.

But Indian entrepreneurship through Nexus India Capital, where he is managing director, is his main focus and expertise. Regardless of where on the globe he is, whenever he considers entrepreneurs, he gives the same guidance.

"People should start companies because they want to change the world," he said. "People who want to make a lot of money and start companies never make any. You have to believe in what you're doing."

Merging this global perspective with the local economy was Paul Krutko, the city of San Jose's chief development officer. He spoke before Gupta and illustrated the goals of the city's Office of Economic Development.

"What we want to do is talk about the resources we have for small businesses," he said. "It's one thing to have a great idea. It's another to know how to run a business. What we try to is help to make it easy for small companies do what they want to do in San Jose."

Krutko also touted BusinessOwnerSpace.com, a Web site where those who want to start, grow and maintain a small business can get collaborative help from more than two dozen public, private and nonprofit agencies and businesses.

On the stage of the Engineering Auditorium, standing in front of images of Indian economic statistics and graphs, Gupta clearly pled his case that the country is a growing and viable place for investment.

"A lot of this growth is because of new companies, entrepreneurship," he said.

After his presentation, he responded to questions ranging from India's infrastructure to population concerns and global warming.

His conclusion was simple: India needs more investments and is a good place to invest.

"India's not where I'd want to do business, but it does look like a pretty good investment for some companies," said Jeffrey Leung, a senior business management information systems major.

Surmi Chatterj, a 2007 computer engineering graduate who is originally from India and whose father currently owns a small business there, said she would definitely return if she had the opportunity.

"Even during this economic downturn, India is still prospering and that's really positive," she said.

Akash Ayare, a senior computer engineering major who identified himself as an entrepreneur, said he would also consider working in India, particularly in light of ongoing corporate globalization.

"In my understanding of it, in the next 10 to 20 years, it will just be global companies," he said. "They won't be localized to one country or region."

Gupta remained positive throughout the night and ended with the message: "Everybody can do it. Everybody at San Jose State has more capability than they need. I tell that to everybody - you can do it."