1. Learnings from DST’s study on
problems faced by Hi-tech entrepreneurs
This presentation was prepared by RTBI based on
the inputs collected for the DST’s interview
schedule from four of its incubatees.

2. Agenda
Introduction
Components of DST’s survey
Highlights of incubatees responses
Conclusion

3. Introduction
About the
presentation
Methodology
Objective: The main objective of this presentation is to present the insights derived from
the information collected for DST’s “A Study on Problems faced by Hi-Tech Entrepreneurs
in Launching, Managing and Growth of their Ventures”
Among the inputs, only important and policy relevant information were highlighted in this
presentation.
Four of the RTBI incubatees were interviewed to collect
the input for DST’s interview schedule
Step 1 –
Input collection
Step 2 – Analysis
of Inputs
The input collected for DST’s survey scheduled was
analysed to identify important policy relevant
information
Step 3 – Sharing
the insights
A presentation was made based on the insights collected
from the inputs of the incubatees

4. Agenda
Introduction
Components of DST’s survey
Highlights of incubatees responses
Conclusion

5. Components of DST survey
Status of enterprise
Background information
Initiation phase
Operation of
enterprise
Growth strategies
Personal world
view
Regulatory issues
& Suggestions
Section A
Section B
Section C
Section D
Section E
Section F
Section G
This section is further divided
into five headings:
1. Production & technology
2. Marketing management
3. Financial management
4. Human resource
management
5. Managing competition
Various questions were asked
under five headings to
understand the problems
faced and strategies followed
to solve the problems
This section aimed at
capturing the challenges
faced during the launch of
the venture.
This section also captures the
reaction of friends and
families during the initial
phase.
Finally, the sources of
funding during initial phase
recorded.
Enterprises faced various
problems during growth
stage to increase the sales
and maintain the market
share. In this section
problems faced by the
enterprise in growth stage in
identified. Also, the actions
taken by them to solve the
problems also captured in
this section.
In this section, some personal
details of the entrepreneur
relevant to the study is
captured.
In this section, different side
of the entrepreneur will be
revealed.
In this final section,
suggestions were asked
directly from the
entrepreneur. Some exiting
regulatory issues were also
discussed in this section.
In this presentation, section
C, D, E & G are focused

6. Agenda
Introduction
Components of DST’s survey
Highlights of incubatees responses
Conclusion

7. Highlights of Incubatees response
1. Fund raising at PoC stage.
2. Profitability.
3. Finding initial customers.
4. Finding and acquiring right
talent.
5. Technology commercialization
1. HR practices & compliances.
2. Entry barriers in the industry.
3. Market readiness for the
service/product.
4. No HR team and hiring good talents
is a major problem
5. Lack of market research data
Initial Phase
Operation of the
enterprise
Growth phase
1. Lack of right human resource
2. Financial problems in scaling up.
Problems
faced
How the
problems was
tackled
Suggestions
1. Moral & financial support was
received from family and friends
2. Support from mentors and
incubators.
3. Fund raising team formation.
4. Created B-plan after proper
analysis and research.
5. Utilized free and open source
software.
1. Entrepreneurial drive should be
built in students mind and a
conducive environment should
be developed for entrepreneurs.
2. Seed funding support.
3. More industry academia
technology interfacing.
4. Domain specific mentorship by
the incubators.
5. Funding schemes for students
projects.
1. Enhancing product through R&D
2. Periodical review and forecasting of
financial status.
3. Investments from VCs and working
capital loan from banks.
4. Maintaining repeat customers and
new customer acquisition.
5. Continuous hiring process
6. Value additions strategies.
1. Easing the compliances of
companies Act
2. Access to good R&D facility
3. Creating of more market research
and analytics reports
4. Better IPR framework.
5. Customer financing
6. Cutting down import duties
7. Government can be a potential
buyer.
1. Investment for technology
development and indigenous
product development by
government agencies
2. TAX subsidies and funding support
at all stages.
3. Training support by government.
4. Government funding for projects
having more impact but paying
capacity of customer is poor.
1. Establishing good network and
channel partners in new geographies.
2. Hiring consultants to overcome the
HR problem.
3. Depended on placement and
recruitment agencies to acquire right
talents

8. Highlights of Incubatees response
1. Delays in policy implementations
2. Poor implementation of CGTMSE scheme
3. Unfriendly investment laws regarding foreign investment into small
enterprises.
4. No transparency in tax laws regarding taxation of software sales/services.
Regulatory
issues
Suggestions
1. Faster decision making processes from government is very essential.
2. Better coordination of enterprises with industry bodies.
3. Reaching out to students at early stage to build the entrepreneurial
drive among the students
4. Providing end to end support for the startups.
5. Government should facilitate procurement and credit for special
industries like disability.
6. Funding for scaling up business.
7. Reducing import duties
8. Customer financing and tax benefits for the products targeting low
paying capacity customers
9. Funding and infrastructure support
10. Building good human resource and mapping right talent with the
enterprises

9. Agenda
Introduction
Components of DST’s survey
Highlights of incubatees responses
Conclusion

10. Conclusion
Based on the learnings from the survey, the following conclusions can be derived:
1. Family and friends extended moral & financial support to most of the
entrepreneur at the initial phase. This can be one of the important driving force
for the entrepreneur for launching the venture.
2. Almost all the enterprises faced problems in identifying and acquiring right
talents. This was a major HR problem faced by all the enterprises.
3. Many enterprises faced problem in accessing the market research data.
4. Enterprises gave various suggestions related to the sector in which they operate.
This clearly shows the need for a different support schemes on case to case
basis.