India is the 2nd largest startup ecosystem now. But, can it be at par with Silicon Valley?

With 37 years of experience in the valley, Avanish sahai believes it can. But what made Silicon Valley the ultimate startup ecosystem? It was investors, universities and an environment where people dreamed to come live and work. And, in the last 25 years India has been going through the same transformation. And the changes are nothing short of admirable.

Avanish started his career from a Mckinsey office in 1999 which ideated India’s software dream, with policy changes the country needed to lead in Technology. Since then, he’s held senior roles at Oracle, Salesforce, ServiceNow, and Google Cloud, and served on HubSpot’s board through its journey from $500M to $2B.

Avanish talks with great passion about startups that are disrupting the world today, taking lessons from small companies that took over legends who were believed to be indestructible. Even with all the hype around AI, Avanish reminds us that ultimately it's all about people.

0:00 – Trailer
1:13 – 37 years in Silicon Valley
2:33 – McKinsey’s “Vision 2020” for India (in 1980)
7:30 – When only $8 was allowed for migrants to the U.S.?
9:48 – “India is the ultimate definition of a startup ecosystem”
11:30 – How openness to the world has changed India
13:08 – India’s tech stack should go global
14:09 – Why “India is hot” right now
17:41 – Global disruptors building for the world
19:48 – Think big and fail often
24:09 – HubSpot: Single product → multi-product → platform
27:11 – How today’s startups can compete with legends
30:45 – Salesforce had APIs from day one (in 1999)
35:51 – How AI is redefining Legends vs. startups
41:51 – Life as a Stanford DCI fellow
42:53 – How should the world adapt for 20–25 extra years?
45:29 – How to spot the right wave and players in Career
45:16 – Get mentors, stay curious, and take risks
48:00 – Why it’s still all about PEOPLE
51:53 – How AI could disrupt vertical SaaS industries

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India’s talent has built the world’s tech—now it’s time to lead it.
This mission goes beyond startups. It’s about shifting the center of gravity in global tech to include the brilliance rising from India.

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Connect with Siddhartha on:
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This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice.

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