Telangana Minister for Information Technology and Industries K. Taraka Rama Rao has launched T-Bridge, a new programme aimed at connecting Indian start-ups with opportunities in the global market, in the Silicon Valley at San Francisco in the USA in partnership with Uber and TiE.
Speaking after launching the initiative as an outpost of T-Hub in the USA on Friday, Mr. Rao said: We have a strong vision to make Hyderabad one of the top 10 start-up cities in the world and T–Bridge is one such move towards opening a channel of investment from across the world to the State of Telangana. He stated that he was elated to open the first outpost of T-Hub in the USA in association with Uber and TiE Silicon Valley and expressed hope that the association would forge new partnerships, spur investment and innovation between the two countries. He explained that T-Bridge would enable start-up communities in India and around the world to cross-pollinate ideas, innovate and create channels for knowledge transfer. Mr. Rao said the initiative would also create a network of mentors, venture capitalists, incubators and accelerators and it would prove advantageous to the Indian start-up ecosystem.
Further, he stated that T-Bridge would provide a platform for fast-track tech companies looking to tap into India’s huge consumer market for technology. T-Bridge would help start-ups accessing UberEXCHANGE, Uber’s flagship start-up mentorship programme, and TiE Silicon Valley’s mentor network.
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Ram K. Reddy, incoming president of TiE Silicon Valley, complimented the Telangana Government stating that it had been one of India’s most progressive States with vitality and transformational mindset of the leadership. Rachel Whetstone, Uber’s senior vice-president for policy and communications, said Telangana had set up a culture of ‘regulatory incubation’ - allowing new ideas and business models to thrive.
Stating that Hyderabad had witnessed three-fold increase in the start-up activity since the lauch of T-Hub last year, its CEO Jay Krishnan said the city was abuzz with over 30 incubators and co-working spaces.