Tech Edge, Good Weather, Pub Culture Weave Magic Charm

WHEN US-born Sean Blagsvedt packed his bags to move with Microsoft Research in Bangalore five years ago, little did he know that India would become his second home. After a three-year stint at Microsoft, creating solutions for emerging markets, Sean realised that his calling lay elsewhere. “I liked India. But, India is a place where it is impossible to deny that some people are lucky. The inequity and unfairness bugged me,” says the 33-year-old technologist, who believes that computers have an ability to change lives. And babajob.com, a portal for blue-collared jobs, was born when Sean Blagsvedt quit Microsoft in 2007. So far, Sean Blagsvedt’s babajob.com has facilitated 900 employments in the blue-collared job space.

Sean’s case is not a rare one. Bangalore, the tech and ideas hub of India, is full of expats with ideas and the energy to chuck a well paying job and start their own venture. And a resurgent and confident India is providing them opportunities. “India chose us. We did not choose India,” says Chris Baker, who promoted Bangalorebuddy.com.

Historically, the city has been a favourite with MNCs and expat professionals thanks to its salubrious weather, technology edge and pub culture. The tech boom provided a lot of opportunities for westerners to come, stay and work in Bangalore. Many of them, it appears now, don’t want to go back. Jean Michel Jasserand quit Leela Palace Hotel to start his own Italian bistro chain Toscano; Italian chef Paolo Nonino has started restaurants Via Milano and Colonial in the city.

Expatriates give credit to Bangalore

DR THOMAS Binford has made Bangalore his R&D base to develop handwriting recognition technologies; Laila and Chris Baker, who earlier worked in a foreign bank in India, have started a recommendation-based directory service, bangalorebuddy.in, to smoothen relocation into the city; Japanese Masamichi Kawagome, former managing director of KVH (IT solution provider to Fidelity Investments Japan), has set up Geocom Consulting in Bangalore to enable companies from his homeland to set up base in India; Footprint Ventures, an early stage fund based out of India, is started by Neill Brownstein, a cofounder of Bessemer Venture Partners. Footprint has investments in online digital photography firm Canvera, a bus ticketing firm Ticketvala and restaurant chain Mast Kalandar.

Some experts ET spoke to grant credit to the city that clearly has much more to it than the weather. Manish Sabharwal, chairman, Teamlease says, “Bangalore has always been the ideas hub of India. The labour market here has been very liquid and fungible with people moving back and forth.” Bharti Jacob, CEO, Seed Fund says, “It is about people who worked here, loved the city and decided to make a go for it. At one point, most global professionals wanted an India stint on their CV and they would end up in Bangalore. Perhaps, this was the next extension. Bangalore is less harsh to startups and is a very cosmopolitan city.” Anand Inbanathan, associate professor of sociology at the Institute for Social and Economic Change says, Bangalore has established itself as a destination of choice for employment opportunities. After a few years in the city, these professionals may have chosen to stay back longer, he adds.

So, what is it that was the real trigger for some of these individuals to set up shop in Bangalore, far away from their homes? The common thread is that they, like any entrepreneur, spotted a business opportunity and liked India enough to take that risk. And, Bangalore topped the index of suitability, as Laila Baker says it easily, “We took a shine to Bangalore. It is hospitable, beautiful and friendly.” The Baker duo, who started bangalorebuddy.in, are looking at a pan-India presence and, currently, they are working on Goabuddy and beachbuddy. “Expats can get verified recommendation on restaurants, plumbing services to where to buy cheese,” says Laila Baker, adding, “foreigners who come to India have little idea about how things work here.”

Others too found untapped niches to occupy in India. If French Jasserand saw immense business potential in starting an Italian eatery in Bangalore, Dr Thomas Binford set up Read-Ink in Bangalore, a rich source of technical manpower. Neill Brownstein, who visits Bangalore every other month, set up Footprint to invest in markets that are on the edge of change. “We are looking at rapidly changing markets that are untapped but have high growth potential. We looked at China, India and Brazil. When we decided on India the one place we wanted to be in was Bangalore,” Brownstein, a US national, told ET.

For Jean Michel Jasserand, who enjoys digging into butter chicken, the decision to set up his own chain in Bangalore was easy. “I worked in the Leela for a few years. I came to know the people, customers and competition. I could get enough information to get ahead and set up an authentic Italian bistro here.” Jasserand, who has worked in hotels in Hawaii, London, Japan, Korea and the Middle East, zeroed in on Bangalore because of the huge unmet demand.

Bangalore, with its decisive technology edge and vast manpower potential, perhaps proved the destination of choice for duo Dr Thomas Binford and Ione Binford. With about 20 engineers on board, Read-Ink plans to roll out the first version of its online handwriting recognition technology soon.

“With the increasing number of pen input based devices, highly accurate handwriting recognition has become the critical element of the user experience,” says Dr Binford.

It is not all hunky-dory for these professionals as Bangalore has its own challenges. The Binford duo live very close to the office to avoid commuting hassles. The common angst points are lack of entertainment options such as an active night life or theatre not to mention the state of infrastructure. As one expat put it, “Instead of filling the roads with speed bumps, the city would do well with filling the potholes.”

But, refreshingly, they are prepared to expect the unexpected and take deep breaths to tide over little crises. Jasserand says, “It is up to you to make your life happy or miserable. I have been living in so many other countries. I see things positively and do not get frustrated.” Adds Sean, who lives here with his stepfather (also his business partner) and mother, “I appreciate the value of family in India. Family is a deep part of one’s life in India.”

J Padmapriya BANGALORE

Source: EC