Varoon Rajani

Excited to share the launch of our Annual report Rise of Cloud AI in India 2024!! Trend 1:  India SaaS will transition to #IndAI SaaS Trend 2: The line between software and services is blurring with the rise of #AIEnabled services #IndiaSaaS #IndiaServices Trend 3: #Cybersecurity is gaining prominence in India’s technology growth journey Trend 4: A wealthier nation will be catalyzed by software #wealthTech Trend 5: Industrial SaaS will start scaling as Industry 4.0 matures and Industry 5.0 arrives #IndustrialSaaS Software built from India continues to be world class and we are optimistic that #IndiaSaaS ecosystem will breach $50B in ARR by 2030! 🚀 🚀 https://lnkd.in/gcdcQVkG Bessemer Venture Partners Anant Vidur Puri Divyam Sharma Vatsalya Tandon Veer Gupta Kshiteej Prasad

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One other startup theme that has been active in India over the past decade is infrastructure software (developer productivity, security, testing, modern data stack, CI/CD, observability etc). We wrote about the India and Southeast Asia opportunity in September 2022 in our Infrastructure report - https://lnkd.in/gn_S-ggU I think there is a lot more potential yet to be recognized from the country. New platforms tend to drive the need for a partial or full refresh of infra software. We saw this in the shift to the Web, then to cloud, then to mobile. We are seeing it now with the shift to AI as well as the parallel trendline on deeptech. India-originated startups like Appsmith, Hasura, Postman, BrowserStack started with PLG and are now targeting larger companies. Others like Atlan, Acceldata, Chargebee, LambdaTest, Hevo Data, Druva, Devtron Inc. have targeted larger companies from the get go. There is a (smaller than I would have expected) wave of AI infra companies like invideo, Murf AI, Portkey, Unstract and an interesting set at the LLM++ layer. Some pointers: * Have to anticipate a shift and build ahead of demand, then be ready with a fully baked solution when demand arrives. Examples from India have been Postman (rise of API economy) and Atlan (high data volume driving need for data catalogs). Have to be careful not to be bleeding edge (5-10 years ahead of demand + technical risk) versus leading edge (2-3 years ahead of demand). * If late to the party, go niche to win a subcategory: I see a number of Indian infra startups that launched a few years late to the party in infra with very broad offerings - that is very tough, these end up with smaller $10-15mm revenue levels growing 25% yoy. * Beware of churn and low LTV:CAC when going the developer route, prosumer route and/or open source. We find most companies have to start selling directly or otherwise have to wait several years for revenue to ramp meaningfully. This is not bad, per se- just go in eyes wide open and aligned with your cofounders and investors. * Spend time in the US: While infra requirements are similar globally, founders still benefit a lot from spending time in the US which continues to be the largest market. Drives 1) great design; 2) out of the box functionality; 3) state of the art features 4) blue chip customers, great for referencability. * Indians are CIOs, CISOs and leaders in IT departments in most large US companies- leverage your network! * Other founders have paved the way for you. Maybe they can help you with advice. Just in the Lightspeed portfolio (includes past portfolio companies) - Ajeet Singh, Dheeraj Pandey, Jay Chaudhry, Bipul Sinha, Rohit Choudhary, Sanjay Beri, David Wadhwani, Arvind Jain, Rajoshi Ghosh, Bhavin Shah and Abhay Parasnis. * Look Eastwards from India for cofounders or HQ location: An interesting set of infra companies have come up from SE Asia and Australia as well. Supabase, Marqo and NextBillion.ai in our portfolio, for example.

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Shweta Vohra has penned some very insightful thoughts and opinions around platforms. Do drop in to say hi, see what we are revealing at Kubecon with "how to protect your Kubernetes investment? by revealing our best version of Kubernetes Dashboard product. Devtron Inc. ✈︎ KubeCon NA 2024

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🔑 Unlocking Success: Key Factors for Your AppExchange App 🚀 🎬 Clip from discussion with Chirag Mehta, Founder of Satrang Technologies, an ISV partner with multiple paid apps on AppExchange. ⏳The full Video podcast will premier soon on 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gdkzhmsu #Salesforce #AppExchange #Startups #ISVs #PDOs #TagsPodcast

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"Zero barrier" - A case study of how the Kamath brothers, Nikhil Kamath and Nithin Kamath built something extraordinary in a non traditional way and that today is the the benchmark for millions in all sorts of ways. Read about it in my latest issue. https://lnkd.in/gmd5HBGp Feel free to subscribe to my newsletter if you want to read more interesting case studies. #newsletter #subscribe Zerodha #India #stockmarket beehiiv #kamathbrothers

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If you doubted the rise of India as a powerhouse, Pine Labs, a significant fintech player, is now relocating its headquarters from Singapore to India following approval from a Singapore court. This strategic shift mirrors other successful Indian startups like PhonePe, Razorpay, and Groww, embracing the trend of ‘reverse flipping’. The move signifies growing confidence in the Indian market and its potential. Key factors enabling this move include: - Favorable economic policies - Growing domestic market - Increasing investor confidence - Greater certainty of an exit at a higher valuation - Ease of accessing capital - Regulatory changes - Maturing capital markets - Cost-effective listing process All great signs for India! #India #Fintech #PineLabs #Startups #BusinessGrowth

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Calling all APMs & PMs! Deep Dive into Razorpay's approach to create exceptional PRDs. Watch now: https://lnkd.in/gGG6sYmE In this insightful video Pravir Shanker, Director of Product at Razorpay, unpacks their PRD process. HelloMeets - Upskilling platform for PMs. #productmanagement #PRD #Razorpay #HelloMeets

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The contemplation to impose an 18% GST on FSI & additional FSI charges is alarming and will hurt housing. The real estate industry is already reeling under the burden of high development premiums & other costs. This additional tax would jeopardize project viability & disrupt affordable housing supplies. The imposition of this tax will significantly impact the affordability index and overall economic viability. Moreover, the inability to claim ITC on GST for FSI charges will lead to double taxation, further inflating costs and affecting end consumers. The government's 'Housing for All' mission is unachievable with such tax implications that jeopardize the growth of a sector integral to job creation and the thriving of over 300 ancillary industries. The current positive momentum in the real estate sector, which grows at twice the rate of the Indian economy, requires financial stability. With nearly 50% of household savings invested in housing and non-performing assets in home loans at less than 2% globally, the sector is a crucial pillar of India's ambition to become a $5 trillion economy. As India aims to retain its tag as the world's fastest-growing economy, maintaining domestic stability in the real estate sector is crucial. Any step to derail this growth momentum is counterproductive to our national economic goals. #GST #FSI #affordablehousing #realestatecost #GDP #niranjanhiranandani #constructioncost moneycontrol.com #ashishmishra https://lnkd.in/dHHgGG_h

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As the world shifts from Software-as-a-Service to Service-as-a-Software, intuitively, Indian companies should have a significant advantage. The Indian ecosystem has already become great at delivering fantastic software products and is the world leader in the digital services ecosystem. If we marry these two together, should we not be at the forefront of the AI-led services ecosystem in the coming decade? I was reading Sonya Huang and Pat Grady's blog and loved how they laid out the new business model of Service-as-a-Software. I have had this hypothesis for the last 18 months, and I feel Indian founders should take the lead in this ecosystem and bring it to life. If you have not read the blog, here you go. https://lnkd.in/dMNg-jvV #India #Service-as-a-Software

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Cryptocurrency Reserves: The Shiny New Gold of the World ✨ Indian politicians—those visionary leaders 🧐 who’ve mastered the fine art of waiting 🕒 for others to take risks, stumble 🤕, succeed 🏆, and then swoop in 🦅 with a meh replica of their policies. From digital currencies 💻 to taxation systems 📜, our beloved leaders seem to have one universal mantra: copy the West, imitate the Middle East 🌍, and make sure innovation 🚀 stays 100 miles away from home. 🙄 As the world 🗺️ shifts its focus to cryptocurrency reserves 💵💎, you’d think India 🇮🇳 might seize the moment. Spoiler alert: we’re not. ❌ Why take risks 🤷 when you can just sit back 🛋️, relax 😌, and watch others do the hard work? 💪 El Salvador 🏝️ legalized Bitcoin ⚡, the U.S. is working on a digital dollar 💸, and Dubai is turning itself into a crypto hub 🏗️. And India? Oh, we’re busy slapping a 30% tax 🤑 on crypto transactions while refusing to clarify if crypto is an asset, currency, or the financial equivalent of Voldemort. 🧙‍♂️ Bold, right? 🤦 Indian politicians have a superpower: fence-sitting. 🪑 They’ll wait, observe 👀, and then hop on the bandwagon 🚐 after someone else has paved the road. 🛤️ When China 🚩 banned crypto mining, did India step in with sustainable energy solutions? 🌱 Nope. ❌ When global companies sought alternatives to Silicon Valley 🌉, did we create a rival tech ecosystem? LOL, absolutely not. 🤣 Instead, we perfected policies that tax citizens into oblivion ☠️ while ignoring opportunities. 🤷‍♀️ So, are cryptocurrency reserves 💻📀 the next gold? Probably. ✌️ But will India do anything remotely innovative? Don’t bet your Bitcoin on it! 💩 We’ll wait, copy, tax, and shrug 🤷‍♂️ as the world 🌐 moves on to the next big thing. Why play bold 🃏 when you can just play safe 🛡️ – and play the taxpayer instead? 🎯 #Cryptocurrency #Innovation #Blockchain #Finance #Technology #Government #CryptoRegulation #EconomicGrowth #GlobalTrends #DigitalEconomy #FutureOfFinance #LinkedInCommunity

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🚀 Global Capability Centers (GCCs) are shaping the future of SaaS! Rostow Ravanan, ex-CEO of Mindtree, on how India's 1,800+ GCCs are transforming SaaS growth. 💡 Why this matters for SaaS companies: 1️⃣ Faster Scaling: GCCs streamline SaaS adoption within global enterprises. 2️⃣ Game-Changing Partnerships: Collaborate with GCCs like Bosch India on cutting-edge projects in retail, healthcare, and more. 3️⃣ Innovation at Scale: Access data, resources, and problem statements to build better SaaS

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You keep nodding away like a good student when you got Parker Chase-Corwin speaking on escalations. Thanks for featuring on the podcast Parker. I had so much fun listening to your insights and experiences. Shivam Kharwal ... Thanks for finding the most student-like clip 🤓 Enhance your customer success strategies with insights from this invaluable session 👉🏻 https://lnkd.in/gKnjFnWY #EscalationManagement #CustomerSuccess

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#equity | #fractionalownership : Fractional ownership refers to a mechanism wherein an #investor can buy or sell a fraction of the #shares as well. Incidentally, fractional ownership as a concept is already allowed in some of the other asset classes including #realestate wherein one can participate and own parts of a larger real estate property through #REITs.

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India Becoming the World capital for SaaS Products ! 1. Skilled Workforce: India has a large pool of highly skilled IT professionals who are adept at developing and managing SaaS solutions. 2. Cost Advantage: The cost of developing and maintaining SaaS products in India is lower compared to many other countries, making it an attractive destination for SaaS companies. 3. Growing Ecosystem: India has a thriving ecosystem of SaaS enablers, including investors, incubators, and accelerators, which support the growth of SaaS startups. 4. Global Market Reach: Indian SaaS companies are increasingly targeting global markets, leveraging their cost and talent advantages to compete internationally. 5. Innovation and Adaptability: Indian SaaS companies are known for their innovative approaches and ability to quickly adapt to market changes, making them competitive on a global scale. India's combination of talent, cost efficiency, and a supportive ecosystem makes it a prime location for the development and growth of SaaS products. 🌟 🚀 India's Future SaaS Unicorns🚀 22 soonicorns with a combined valuation of $7.2 billion are poised to join India's unicorn club. 🔶 India's SaaS market is projected to reach $70 billion by 2030, growing at a 31% CAGR. 🔶 Vertical SaaS is leading the charge, growing at 37% and targeting niche sectors. The soon to be included in the list, that I firmly believe will be Infogird Informatics Private Limited powered by its CEO Sachin Kate #SaaS #Unicorns #India #TechInnovation #DigitalTransformation #Startups #Entrepreneurship #FutureOfWork #VerticalSaaS #Growth #Innovation image courtesy: Inc 42

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From discussing the next big field in India to sharing the most unusual pitch he's ever heard—watch this episode! Shreya sits down with Dhruv Dhanraj Bahl, Founder & Managing Partner at Eternal Capital (India), as he takes on rapid-fire questions. Don’t miss out! Watch the episode https://lnkd.in/gc4Rf8Y4 #BigIdeasIndia #UnusualPitches #CareerInsights #NextBigThing #EntrepreneurshipJourney #PodcastVibes #LeadershipTalks #InnovationInFocus #CareerGrowth #PodcastEpisode #FutureOfIndiaa

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Finsire has recently started its learning series - Ideally by chatting with the best folks in the Industry. Here, with Siddharth Shetty, Co-founder and CTO of Account Aggregator (AA) from DigiSahamati Foundation, we speak about the data exchange's inception, growth, and future in India. - We use AA for various reasons, including pushing boundaries in India's data exchange layer with various use cases. - It's been about three years since it went live, and over 70 million cumulative Indian accounts are linked. - One-of-a-kind data sharing network from India that is not seen anywhere across the globe, baring Singapore with https://lnkd.in/gyrCQtVQ - Different approach to protect consumers as compared to the previous models that existed to attain consumer data by various methods used by Plaid or Salt Edge Onemoney Finvu (Cookiejar Technologies) Protean eGov Technologies Anumati by Perfios AA NADL - Account Aggregator Computer Age Management Services Limited KFin Technologies Ltd. Enjoy - Please click on the link below and watch the video!

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How much home loan leads is marketing efforts driving? - A Case Study The number of versatile MMM projects that we do at Aryma Labs keeps growing exponentially. 🚀 Here is one case study where we helped a bank in APAC region know : 🎯 How much marketing efforts are driving home loan leads. 🎯 How to improve their marketing effectiveness through clever budget optimization. Don't forget to listen to this insightful case study as podcast !! (link in comments).

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