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Amrita works closely in the Indo-German startup ecosystem striving to build synergies between both ecosystems. She is the India Representative of German Indian Startup Exchange Program – GINSEP and Hub Manager of AsiaBerlin in India. She is the founder of PrimedinFabrik and is a German Chancellor’s Fellow 2021. We spoke to her about her role as an AsiaBerlin Ambassador and the strengths of Indian- German startup connections.

Amrita at AsiaBerlinSummit 2021 moderating a panel on women entrepreneurship.

As an AsiaBerlin Ambassador, what are some of your responsibilities bringing startup ecosystems together?

We have been specifically focusing on building networks and promoting Berlin in India and also India in Berlin. But, again, super interesting is that most of the initiatives between India and Germany or Berlin are only bilateral. This gives this AsiaBerlin initiative a multilateral perspective involving other nations such as Jakarta, Singapore, Korea, China. So it also offers India a wholesome view of fellow Asian countries and puts you on a competitive level. At the same time, it also explores markets in countries like Germany and perhaps the other Asian markets.

Through AsiaBerlin I have had the privilege to tap into the Berlin and South East Asian startup ecosystem, be on par with the latest technology trends, and most importantly find kindred spirits among the AsiaBerlin Ambassador network who are passionate about building international bridges.

You have been at the AsiaBerlin Summit almost five times. What do you think has changed over the years?

Yes, this is my fifth time at the Asia Berlin Summit. I’ve been part of this since it was called the Asia-Pacific Week Berlin. It’s grown from strength to strength. A few years back, it was a much more concentrated community, and only a few nations were involved. But now, it’s a much bigger multilateral community. We have new countries which have added up. This year have a full India Day packed with different panels on AI, sustainable urban mobility, etc. So I think the India representation has grown well over the past years.

What are some of the strengths in the Indian startup ecosystem – which you feel can be considered to enter into the European startup segment?

Some key strengths of India would be the enormous market size and cheap labor, but I wouldn’t want to say that please come to India only for cheap labor.  Also, look at it from a talent perspective; we do have booming tech talent; we are also one of the countries with many unicorns. The ecosystem is open to international communities. There’s also a huge sense of internationalization, and cosmopolitan of specific startup hubs, for example, like Bangalore, so it’s worth exploring. I think a market from Germany or Berlin should consider India, first of all, for the market size and just startup.

How do you think a platform like AsiaBerlin summit can help build synergies between these startup ecosystems?

Firstly, I haven’t been to the last Asia Berlin summit because of the pandemic. But yesterday, as I was networking, one of my friends mentioned that AsiaBerlin focuses more on people than projects because we see people who have been part of the delegations even in 2016 still sticking on. So it’s more people-centric, and true networks are built when people are motivated, not just the organizations or the projects. So that is one essential thing for me personally, to come back to the Asia Berlin summit every time. It’s like a one-stop-shop for Asia in Berlin. As an international counterpart, you can just have a bird’s eye view of Asia, India, China, Singapore, and many other Asian markets and take your pick. So why not?

You recently got selected as a German Chancellor Fellow. How does this fit in your overall mission and professional journey?

I have been working in the Indo-German startup space for five years now. Through the German Chancellor’s Fellowship and my company PrimedinFabrik I wish to develop a model for German and Indian startups to address common challenges and co-innovate on an equal platform.

What are the areas/questions for which the community should reach out to you?

Feel free to reach out to me for support on startup internationalization and accessing govt., corporate and enabler networks from Germany and India.

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