Govt has signed an FTA with Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein (EFTA bloc) where they will invest $100 billion in India to get access to freetrade benefits in India. It is expected to g...

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Govt has signed an FTA with Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein (EFTA bloc) where they will invest $100 billion in India to get access to free-trade benefits in India. It is expected to generate around 1 million more jobs in India and net around $300 billion worth of capital inflow.

This deal will open opportunities to sign many more such deals with other partners (like EU) and reduce our trade deficit dependencies on China. We've been progressing discussions for an FTA with EU for the past few years and this seems seems like a massive step in that direction.

Massive $100bn investment deal between India and EFTA

Software Developer

Massive $100bn investment deal between India and EFTA- Grapevine

I am in shock that the Canadian PM, in the Canadian Parliament no less has alleged that India has eliminated a khalistani on Canadian soil. 
I still remember the days, when the single greatest attack on the soul of the country took place in Mumbai on 26/11, all we could do was establish backchannel diplomacy with the likes of the US to get Pakistan to 'calm down'. Not a single bullet was fired in return in a nation that perceived our weak national security as par for the course, getting the Congress led UPA that presided over this moment of unparalleled humiliation, a thumping verdict in 2009. That was an India where we would lament the lack of credible retaliation options including Covert Ops. It was often stated that IK Gujral rolled back R&AW operations outside the country as an excuse for our lack. Although, no action was taken to initiate the operations again. NONE. But excuses were ready should failures occur again.

That India of my childhood, seems like a distant past. When URI and Balakot happened, we crossed the LoC and launched Spl Ops to impose rising costs upon Pakistani aggression. Khalistani or old thoroughbred battle hardened Islamic Jihad commanders in Pakistan or PoK are being neutralized, further raising costs to threatening Indian interests. 

This is not the India I grew up in. 2004-14, when we ought to have taken off, came a pauper after the initial global liquidity fuelled growth from 04-07. Congress went on a far left loony socialistic binge, with massive amounts of debt given to Crony Industrialist friends leading to an NPA crisis which led to Private investment paralysis, plummeting growth further, and inflation hitting the skies. 

But now, we are poised for a decade or two of rapid, high quality, solid economic growth. All of these factors combine to bolster our Gross National Power like never before. 

We were supposed to be poor, timid and helpless. We pursued sympathy over strength. But I guess, this is no longer the India we knew of.

This is NOT the India I grew up in

Co-founder

Welcome to Office Gossip's Private Community

Had a chat with a legendary soonicorn founder yesterday evening and his take was that we are definitely not getting another bull run this decade.

I obviously think more optimistically and hopefully things will look up soon.

What do you all think about this tho?

Reply in comments. Do you all think we ever getting the bull run again? 😔

Product Manager

What's the reason?
Modi loving Meloni is bs, there is more to this PR stunt

People who understand geopolitics, why is Italy being so cutesy with us?

- Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong signed four MoUs to enhance bilateral relations.
- The agreements cover digital technologies, semiconductor development, healthcare, and educational cooperation.
- Modi's visit to Singapore is part of a two-day trip, following a successful visit to Brunei.
- The leaders reviewed key areas like advanced manufacturing, connectivity, and sustainability.
- Modi will also meet Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and other senior officials. 

 Source: [Moneycontrol](https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/india/india-and-singapore-strengthen-ties-four-mous-signed-during-pm-modis-visit-12814783.html)

India and Singapore Forge Stronger Ties with Four MoUs

Journalist

Google lays off more employees and moves some roles to other countries

Research engineer

- Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin inks deals worth Rs 900 crore with companies like Nokia, PayPal, and Microchip during his US visit.
- The agreements promise to generate 4,100 jobs in Chennai, Coimbatore, and Madurai, focusing on sectors like AI, semiconductor technology, and telecommunications.
- Stalin's visit aims to transform Tamil Nadu into a $1 trillion economy by 2030, with a focus on attracting capital-intensive and employment-generating industries.
- The CM's delegation will continue to engage with potential investors in the US, with further meetings scheduled in Chicago and other cities.
- Stalin emphasizes Tamil Nadu's leading role in India's GDP and export sectors, inviting more American companies to invest in the state. 

 Source: [Business Standard](https://www.business-standard.com/india-news/tamil-nadu-cm-visits-san-francisco-inks-pact-with-microchip-nokia-paypal-124083001038_1.html)

Tamil Nadu CM Secures Rs 900 Crore Investments in San Francisco

This question is posed to you by Peter Thiel in his book "Zero to One"

My answer to this is:

We are in a big cycle where India will become everything great. Last 8 years have taught me that we are in the greatest momentum bet of this country's life time. So, don't rule out India. 

Build in India. Invest in India. Believe in India. 

There are many in this community that are complete nihilists and supremely bearish towards India's prospects. And let me tell you, for once in this country's history, being a complete maximalist on India is a bet that you will not regret. 

There will be a new generation of millionaires and billionaires that will be minted on new industries. So keep hustling and this country will unleash great dividends for you and your legacy.

[Thread] What important truth do very few people agree with you on?

Lately, I have been thinking very deeply about my college days when the Flipkart story had inspired the entire lot of my batch at IIT-D. We were starry eyed college kids who wanted to do something innovative in India and break away from the "three" most popular moves after IIT:

1. UPSC
2. MBA
3. MS/PhD abroad

I proceeded to then work in various Indian startups and noticed an alarming thing. I began to realise a pattern across all my stints:

The initial founding team does exceptional work innovating, they excel at what Thiel calls "Zero to One", the act of creation. I will concede that although most founders fail to innovate by often copying what worked in the west but the initial founding team usually excels in execution. It allows for initial traction as it breathes a fresh breath in the\ space that they are operating in.

Almost always, when Product Market Fit is "achieved"(whatever that means), the founders begin to deploy insane amounts of funds into growth. 

By definition, Growth is not a bad thing. But, I have been noticing that across all startups I have worked at( all raised funds from the largest global funds) that it comes at the expense of product building. And during this era of hypergrowth, the product starts to stagnate while focus becomes marketing and sales. 

I often felt that this was temporary. That once we reach enough scale, we would start to innovate again. 
But time and time again, the ability to innovate atrophies over time.
Rather than building something that has enduring value by executing faster than anyone, the focus becomes achieving growth at all costs. 

This ultimately leads to two outcomes:
1. The startup cannot sustain this growth and retention begins to look dire. The churn becomes unbearable and the startup goes out of business.

2. The startup gets acquired by someone bigger, allowing founders and investors to believe that they created value where none existed in the first place.

I am completely dejected at this.

The Death of Indian Innovation: Why Indian Start Ups are failing to Innovate?

Growth Manager

- Foxconn chairman Young Liu announced that the company has invested $10 Bn in India so far and plans to invest more in the coming year.
- Liu addressed allegations of job discrimination against married women at Foxconn's Tamil Nadu plant, stating that the company hires employees regardless of gender.
- During his India trip, Liu met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the chief ministers of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Telangana to discuss Foxconn's investments.
- Liu inaugurated a women-only residential complex near Foxconn's plant in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, which will house over 18,000 women employees.
- Foxconn currently employs around 48,000 people in India, with women making up a significant portion of the workforce. 

 Source: [Inc42](https://inc42.com/buzz/foxconn-has-invested-10-bn-in-india-so-far-says-chairman-young-liu/)

Foxconn Chairman Young Liu Announces $10 Bn Investment in India

Full Canada India ego clash

Consultant

Neck to neck fight going on between BJP led NDA and Cong led INDI alliance. Will it going to impact our economy ? How it will impact India growth and to become 3rd largest economy ?

Though it is a trends but for now it seem as final one too !

NDA vs INDI (A) !

Account Executive

https://youtu.be/lUp5xKvGzDw?si=GVh3pdYnu2uwpVDS

Not sure of the authencity of the video. But look at the scale of use of tech.

China is ahead at AI/Robotics/Tech adoption

- India has overtaken China in the MSCI All-Country World index, with a weighting of 2.33% compared to China's 2.06%.
- This shift makes India the sixth-largest weighting in the index, driven by strong demand in India's stock market.
- Indian companies are capitalizing on the booming market, with significant IPOs like Ola Electric and Bajaj Housing Finance.
- Over $38bn has been raised in India's equity market this year, the highest in Asia.
- Analysts caution that India's high valuations could reverse if Chinese company valuations recover. 

 Source: [Financial Times](https://www.ft.com/content/72864f6a-8b48-4638-84e1-1da5f03d3484)

India overtakes China in world’s biggest investable stock benchmark

Maharashtra has become the 1st state in India 

To cross $500 billion economy.

For reference the size of the Indian economy in year 2002 was 500 billion.

Maharashtra is further ahead of any state

Software Engineer

- The Economic Survey 2023-24 suggests India should focus on attracting FDI from China to benefit from the global 'China Plus One' strategy, rather than integrating into China's supply chain.
- The Survey highlights India's growing electronic exports, particularly in mobile phones, as a key area of growth.
- With multinational companies shifting away from China, India has a unique opportunity to attract Chinese investments and boost its manufacturing exports.
- The government's PLI scheme, offering tax breaks and subsidies, is crucial in attracting companies to set up operations in India, especially in the electronics sector.
- Major tech companies like Apple and Google are already increasing their production in India, signaling a positive trend for the country's manufacturing landscape. 

 Source: Inc42

Economic Survey Advocates for Increased FDI from China to Boost India's Exports

Why is India so dependant on chinese goods, what are some goods that we import the most🤔
Is there anyone here building in india in substitute of chinese imported goods

Chinese Export Market🤯

Welcome to Indian Startups's Private Community

In a landmark deal, Silicon Valley powerhouse General Catalyst has acquired Venture Highway, a seed-stage investment firm with a track record of backing winners like Meesho and Mobile Premier League.

The Deal:
- Rare instance of consolidation in the Indian VC market
- VH to be rebranded as General Catalyst India
- GC plans to invest $500 million to $1 billion in India over the next three years
- Acquisition driven by desire to build strong local team and tap into local LP network

But the move also raises important questions. Will this trigger a wave of consolidation in the Indian VC market? Will other global firms follow suit and snap up local players to gain a foothold in the country? And how will this influx of foreign capital shape the trajectory of India's startup ecosystem?

As the dust settles on this landmark deal, one thing is clear: India's startup scene is entering a new era, one where local innovation and global capital are increasingly intertwined.  Always long on India 🇮🇳

Image Credits: The Arc

General Catalyst's Venture Highway Acquisition: A Strategic Play for India 🇮🇳

What do you all think about the laptop import ban? Good or bad?

Laptop ban??

Copywriter

From the past few months I'm seeing news of all the big projects of National interest being parked in Gujrat. Be it GIFT City, DREAM City, Chip Manufacturing facility by Tata, 2036 Olymics stadium, 2 new smart cities, center for AI excellence, Cholera Solar Park, Bullet Train stations, etc?
I'm happy for all the work happening but it seems unfair that all great projects are happening in Gujrat. 

If trade is a reason, there are other states as well in western coast like Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala.

I'm not trying to make it political, but I feel it is. 
If it's not political please give your reasoning. I want to be wrong on this.

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