SAARC CCI launches free webinar series for startups in South Asia

As physical distancing occurs, virtual intimacy emerges. Transition from physical to virtual reality is the great demand of the new normal. Young entrepreneurs, startups, micro, small and medium scale enterprises are deeply affected by the global pandemic situation of COVID-19. 

Startups and young entrepreneurs are the most inexperienced in the business world. They are working hard and struggling to face the new harsh realities of the new era. As the renowned startups leader and mentor Seth Bannon says, lessons learnt from the past and guidance from mentors are truly essential for these young entrepreneurs and startups to overcome the tough problems and take advantage of the emerging opportunities in the new normal phenomenon. 

In light of this background, the SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SAARC CCI) has embarked upon a free webinar series for startups and young entrepreneurs to help them overcome deep challenges, effectively face the economic shocks, recover from failures and improve their startups in the new economic realities of the new normal. 

The first webinar in the series was held on 18 May and the second webinar was held on 2 June. The third and fourth webinars will be held on 10 and 17 June respectively. Above all, a number of important webinars are in the pipeline covering all major aspects of startups from theoretical perspectives to practical dimensions along with innovative strategies to deal with difficult situations like novel corona. 

The webinar series is organised in collaboration with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF). Renowned mentors from India, Subramanian Chandramouli, International Sales Trainer, and Saravana Mani, Global Head of Innovation Kmart Group Australia, are conducting the webinar sessions for startups. Young entrepreneurs from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are taking part in the series of startup webinars.         

Prior to this webinar series for startups, SAARC CCI had already organised a series of startup boot camps in various countries of South Asia, i.e. Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, stating from April to December 2019. 

In line with the recommendations of SAARC Startup Vision Summit 2018, held in India, the series of SAARC CCI boot camps and the webinar series are being organised with the intention of developing a mechanism to ensure cross border learning, exposure and mentoring for startups and to strengthen startup ecosystems across South Asia, especially in the South Asian countries with no startup ecosystems or least developed startup ecosystems.

It has been significant that SAARC CCI has so far been trained and mentored over 350 young entrepreneurs from South Asian countries during the series of startup webinars and boot camps. All these young ventures are extremely happy about the training programs and continue to take part in SAARC CCI activities. 

Startups plays a pivotal role in an economy significantly contributing to the economic growth. Startups generate new employment opportunities for passionate young people. 

Moreover, startups are a salient component of economic dynamism stimulating innovation and injecting competition. It is apparent that startups are the driving force behind structural change in South Asian countries. 

Therefore, it is expected that the series of SAARC CCI webinars and boot camps will indeed be instrumental in developing effective startup ecosystems in South Asian nations thereby contributing to the economic dynamism and progressive changes in the region.