It is often said that there are two Indias — one that lives in the metros and Tier I cities, and the other that lives beyond. According to the last Census, more than 70 percent of India resides in rural and semi-urban areas, or what is sometimes referred to as the ‘emerging India’. It consists of Tier II, III and IV towns that hold tremendous promise, boast enormous talent and skill, but are often devoid of opportunities, support, and capital.

Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi may be the big boys of India’s startup club, but a bunch of smaller cities are increasingly making their presence felt. Tier II and III cities are growing faster in terms of their online consumption of goods and services compared to bigger cities and often drive 60-70% of transactions of ecommerce companies. Entrepreneurship and starting up is no longer a big city phenomenon. As the success stories of Indian entrepreneurs are celebrated, more people in the hinterland are being emboldened to try their hand at starting up.

Those living in larger cities have access to high-speed internet connectivity, a responsive market, and easy access to funds. Small towns have their own set of problems. Them being the lack of awareness on how technology can help them, an inertia to change. infrastructure and adequate human talent  are not readily available.

But, the likes of Robosoft, CultureAlley and Indusface, among the hundreds of start-ups that exist today in the small towns and cities, are showing how ideas can be incubated and developed anywhere. These companies not only build products and services for a global audience, but their employees experience a far better quality of life compared to their metro counterparts. This is because cost of living is low, retention of talent is high, and there are hardly any traffic bottlenecks. , Startup ecosystems are mushrooming in tier 2 and tier 3 towns, and the likes of Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Indore, and Kochi are emerging as new hubs

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