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With start-ups and associated systems in India evolving quickly, the country is increasingly seeing entrants wishing to participate in this wave. Citrix, an America-based information technology major, is the latest to do so, set to launch a Start-up Innovator’s Program. This is aimed at helping entrepreneurs to cultivate and market breakthrough ideas and technologies. Sudhakar Ramakrishna, its senior vice-president and General Manager Enterprise and Service Provider Division, who heads the initiative, spoke to Itika Sharma Punit on it, their plans and why India is an exciting place to be in. Edited excerpts:
What is the rationale behind Citrix engaging with start-ups and running programmes for them?
We do not want to box customers into a single solution or specific point product. Hence, we have the accelerator programme that helps us engage with start-ups and gather learnings about several non-technology specific and non-product specific areas. Through this, we also keep in touch with the key areas where disruptions are happening in the market.
What's been the background of this programme in the US so far?
We established the Citrix Accelerator programme in 2010. The idea was that we would select companies, give them facilities, have a board that provides guidance and we provide initial funding. The goal for was to promote open innovation. The initial funding varies and there are no encumbrances. We typically also make another round of investments, six to nine months after the initial round. After that, we expect them to get either outside funding or, in some cases, these companies have been acquired by larger ones. So, our engagement is broadly for one year.
What success have the accelerated start-ups seen so far?
Many have gone on to achieve success of their own, many have got funding after the seed runs we did for them and some, honestly, failed. The way we look is that if you don't stretch the boundaries of innovation, you are going to be a very conservative team. And, it's not like we are failing or they are failing - everyone is learning from it.
What brings you to India?
Part of the reason is the vibrancy and opportunity in the ecosystem. The population dynamics here have changed from a conservative career-oriented attitude to an ability to take risks. My belied is that the minute you are willing to take risk, you can focus on being an innovator. The mental make-up of the population in India has changed significantly and, obviously, the availability and abundance of talent is a big reason. There is also a greater willingness on the part of venture capitalists and other stakeholders in bringing money here, which has created a confluence of events for greater influence. Another reason is that India is the largest research and development (R&D) centre for us now.
We launched it this February. The idea is that in three months, you should be able to say whether your idea has wings, it needs to be changed or it will not fly at all. After graduating from this, teams can apply for the accelerator programme (at Citrix or outside). Basically, this one helps teams to figure what are the things that can be done even before getting into an accelerator. It is open to all, outsiders and employees of Citrix.
Would you be bringing your accelerator programme to India?
Launching it here is on the cards but we don't have any specifics yet. All I can say right now is - it's coming, stay tuned. We want to take it in phases, we are not testing the waters, we are committed but we are just phasing.
Would you look at partnering with other players?
We do not co-invest with other accelerators in the US but that does not mean we would do the same thing in India. We engage with other accelerators for knowledge sharing and best-practices sharing in the US. Most likely, we would be collaborating for them in India, too. (Nasscom Product Council chairman) Ravi Gururaj is a Citrix alumni, so he is deeply engaged with us in discussions about what we can do in India. But we haven't really formalised an arrangement.
What would be an ideal batch-size you'd look at?
To some degree, it's going to be a function of the number of applications and their quality. I don't believe in a quota system which says that I will support 10, and even if I don't get 10 ideas that I am enthusiastic about, I take these in. I would say that at any point in time, a rough order of magnitude will be around 10 teams.
What kind of companies would you look to enroll into the Innovator's Program?
We're looking more at idea-stage companies. We take the more graduated ones in our Accelerator Program. We are absolutely open to all kinds of technology. We welcome diversity and our Accelerator Programs are not at all about making money.
