The National Startup Advisory Council of India has nominated 28 non-official members into the committee, and it comprises some of the biggest names in the Indian startup ecosystem.
The members nominated are from various categories such as founders of successful startups, veterans who have grown and scaled companies in India, and individuals capable of representing the interests of investors and startups. Here is our list of the top 5 members and the value they add to the council.
Non-Official Members of the National Startup Advisory Council of India
BYJU RAVEENDRAN: Perhaps, the most famous member on the list is BYJU’s owner and CEO, Byju Raveendran of BYJU’S The Learning App. BYJU’S vision is to provide a 360° learning experience to kids in the form of classes from best teachers, interactive assignments, and assessments that are personalized to every student. BYJU’S is India’s first EdTech decacorn company. BYJU’S has launched largescale CSR initiatives like BYJU’S Education for All and BYJU’S Give Initiative to help students from poor socio-economic backgrounds. BYJU’S has also partnered with the NSDC to train teachers of the future.
Bhavish Aggarwal: Mr. Bhavish Agarwal is the co-founder of OLA Cabs, the transport tech that transformed the way Indians commute. OLA is empowering auto-rickshaw and cab drivers/owners in the country to enhance their earnings and provide last-mile connectivity to the general public. The most important transformation for me though is the reduced need for undue negotiations with auto and taxiwalas.
Abhiraj Singh: Mr. Abhiraj Singh is the co-founder of Urban Company (formerly known as Urban Clap), the hyperlocal home service platform and Indian gig marketplace. Urban Company is an all-in-one platform that connects gig workers like on-call workers, independent contractors, and temporary workers to provide home services such as installation, repair and maintenance services, beauty, and wellness services. Urban Company has also signed an MoU with the NSDC to train, certify, and mobilize service professionals across India.
Kunal Bahl: Mr. Kunal is the co-founder of snapdeal.com one of India’s early e-commerce companies. Although the company is currently recovering from the brink of failure, it is still considered among the top contenders in the Indian e-commerce industry. Not many people know this, but there is a village named after snapdeal.com in Uttar Pradesh, India. Formerly known as Shiv Nagar, the name of the village was changed to Snapdeal.com Nagar after they (Snapdeal) provided a long list of amenities to the village including 15 hand pumps that solved the drinking water problem in the village.
Sanjeev Bikhchandani: Mr. Sanjeev Bikhchandani is the founder and executive vice chairman of Info Edge which is one of the very few pure play internet companies in India. Info Edge owns Naukri.com, Jeevansathi.com, firstnaukri.com, 99acres.com, shiksha.com and many other premier online classifieds companies. Sanjeev Bikhchandani was also awarded the Padma Shri Award in January 2020. He is considered as an “Indian Internet Pioneer”
The term of these (and other) non-official members will be for two years. The council is chaired by the central minister of commerce and industry Mr. Piyush Goyal.
The collective role of the council members will be to
- Advise the government on the measures needed to build a strong atmosphere for nurturing innovations and startups in the country.
- Suggest measures to encourage creativity among citizens and students in particular.
- Promote innovation in all sectors of the economy across the country.
- Suggest measures to make it easier to start, operate, grow, and exit businesses by reducing compliances and costs.
- Promote ease of access to capital for startups.
- Represent the Indian startup ecosystem during the policy-making process.
This advisory council will be the first comprehensive body to represent the Indian startup community. BYJU’s owner Mr. Byju Raveendran who is a first-generation entrepreneur is in the advisory council, I hope this will create a great ecosystem for start-ups to thrive. India could be home to many decacorns in the years to come.
