The Neon Show

What makes a great venture capitalist — luck, timing, or the ability to see what others miss?

Brij Bhushan (Prime Venture Partners) and Pratik Poddar (Nexus Venture Partners) talk about the long game of venture capital; the waiting, the lessons hidden in mistakes, and the emotional ride of backing founders through years of uncertainty.

With Pratik, we dive into some of the biggest names in the Nexus portfolio: his first meeting with Rapido’s founder before he even joined Nexus, the Meesho pitch that became a big miss, and his first call with Zepto’s founders. Nexus was one of Zepto’s earliest investors and has backed the company in every round since. Pratik speaks with great clarity about conviction, timing, and what truly defines great investing.

Brij reflects on his decade of building Magicpin, what it means to “build the same company three times,” and how that journey reshaped the way he now works with founders. Having lived through the chaos of scaling, near-failure, and reinvention, he brings the founder’s perspective back into venture capital.

Together, Brij and Pratik capture the essence of the VC game — how the industry is evolving, why consensus rarely creates outliers, how real decisions are made inside funds, and why the best founders often seem “too early” rather than too late. 

We talk about everything that shapes a VC’s everyday life, and above all why Brij and Pratik believe it’s still the best job in the world.

0:00 – Trailer
01:59 – Biggest learnings from 10 years as a VC
05:00 – Rapido as a counterintuitive bet
06:49 – Meesho was a big miss
10:20 – Why Venture capital is the best job?
12:35 – Every meeting could be life-changing
14:54 – Knowing you are NOT in an Operating role
16:55 – How often are VCs wrong about market size?
18:58 – Where to invest in Consumer companies?
25:33 – How consumer VCs bet on behavior change
27:12 – Is e-commerce truly built for young users?
28:10 – How do Investors deal with Bias?
30:04 – Are VCs only remembered for success stories?
37:45 – Why good deals rarely come from Consensus?
39:24 – The first call with Zepto’s founders
41:10 – How often do you meet truly exceptional founders?
43:45 – Should VCs react to market shifts?
46:42 – How long VC’s take to make an investment decision?
50:53 – How founders should approach fundraising
54:27 – Can India produce 50 decacorns in the next few years?
55:51 – Best way to play VC game is to have right fund size
56:42 – Not Knowing is a pre-requisite for a VC
1:00:41 – Exceptional founders have this superpower
1:02:02 – Where Indian founders have a real edge
1:05:14 – Building AI in India: local maxima or global maxima?
1:09:00 – When will Indian Co’s acquire Indian startups for $Billions?
1:11:55 – Why Zomato & Swiggy aren’t true Consumer Co’s?

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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.

What is Neon Fund?
We invest in seed and early-stage founders from India and the diaspora building world-class Enterprise AI companies. We bring capital, conviction, and a community that’s done it before.
Subscribe for real founder stories, investor perspectives, economist breakdowns, and a behind-the-scenes look at how we’re doing it all at Neon.

-------------
Check us out on:
Website: https://neon.fund/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/
Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShoww

Connect with Siddhartha on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/
Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7

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This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constit&

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When RateGain went public, it made history as India’s first SaaS listing

Founder Bhanu Chopra talks about what went into that call, how investors saw it, and what it revealed about the Indian capital market. He shares how RateGain built its global presence before turning to India, and why he bet big on a $250 million acquisition.

Today, travel is changing faster than ever with travellers planning differently, hotels pricing dynamically, and APAC leading the global recovery. Bhanu breaks down how RateGain powers this, from AI that talks directly to hotels and travellers, to India’s hospitality industry that aims to grow 100% every year.

Valued at nearly $1Billion with over $120 million in annual revenue, RateGain counts some of the biggest names in travel among its customers including Airbnb, makemytrip, Marriott, Hyatt, IHG, Expedia, and Booking.com. 

From taking RateGain from zero to IPO and growing revenue tenfold in a decade, Bhanu’s journey offers a grounded view of what it takes to build companies that last. This episode is about more than travel or tech, it’s about how India’s next generation of founders can think global.

0:00 — Trailer
1:00 — How RateGain became India’s first SaaS IPO
6:31 — Was India ready for a SaaS IPO?
7:31 — The $250M acquisition that cost 25% of market cap
10:58 — Why Indian SaaS is listing locally
14:48 — Travel is booming in APAC
15:34 — RateGain’s business Explained
19:09 — AI that talks to consumers and hotels
21:00 — Building a billion-dollar company is totally possible
23:03 — Why the hotel industry is too complex for LLMs
25:40 — $300M of $7.5B TAM
26:45 — Indian hotel chains aims to grow at 100%
29:39 — Travel trends across the US, Europe and APAC
32:25 — How travel behaviour changed after COVID?
33:34 — The 0→1, 1→10 and 10→100 journey
37:57 — What growth means to Bhanu as a founder

-------------
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.

What is Neon Fund?
We invest in seed and early-stage founders from India and the diaspora building world-class Enterprise AI companies. We bring capital, conviction, and a community that’s done it before.
Subscribe for real founder stories, investor perspectives, economist breakdowns, and a behind-the-scenes look at how we’re doing it all at Neon.

-------------
Check us out on:
Website: https://neon.fund/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/
Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShoww

Connect with Siddhartha on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/
Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7

-------------
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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How do the best CEOs think, prepare, and leave a lasting legacy? 

Shiv Shivakumar, former CEO of PepsiCo and Nokia reflects on decades of leading some of the most iconic companies. He shares insights on what makes a great leader, from the mindset required to the qualities that define people with a fighter’s instinct.

Shiv explains why commitment and curiosity often matter more than degrees or pedigrees, and why only about 7% of those who aspire to be CEOs actually become one. He also discusses how to navigate co-founder disagreements, knowing when a company needs you, and how to hire the right people for lasting impact.

Through stories from his own journey leading companies across sectors, Shiv highlights why unit economics, honest market sizing, and investing in innovation rather than cutting prices are critical for founders. He also emphasizes the importance of understanding culture, asking the right questions, and building trust in shaping a company’s success.

Whether you are an aspiring founder, a manager, or simply curious about how leadership works in practice, this conversation with one of India’s most experienced CEOs is for you.

0:00 – Trailer
0:55 – 3 qualities of people with a fighter’s instinct
2:40 – The biggest sin of a CEO: Past forward
5:51 – How a CEO of 20 years prepare using data?
7:56 – Why the information pyramid today is upside down
8:55 – If it doesn’t surprise competition, it’s waste of time
9:53 – The art of asking great questions
10:28 – Brands shouldn’t age: keep your core, but stay relevant
12:28 – Why Shiv calls himself a Brand person?
13:40 – Rich buy brands for vanity, poor for security
15:03 – Manyavar: Nationalism reflected in buying choices
17:15 – The Suta story
18:10 – Clothing Industry is waiting for innovations
19:28 – Brand person vs. Manufacturing person
21:27 – Why only 7% become CEOs
23:08 – CEOs Shiv admires
23:47 – Be the best prepared person in any room
24:09 – Always stress-test your assumptions
25:04 – Sending letters to great professors of the 90s
29:32 – Opportunities in India vs. abroad
36:59 – Understand culture before joining any company
40:11 – What young people should expect from work?
41:04 – People who leave a legacy
42:49 – How to hire the right people?
45:43 – Be a full-number, not decimal-point manager
46:25 – Never hire for degree or background
48:54 – Building relationships for the company’s interest
51:07 – How co-founders should handle disagreements?
52:56 – Be honest about your addressable market
54:00 – Founders overestimate idea, underestimate rigour
54:30 – ID Fresh: Founder & Opportunity
57:06 – The business model in publishing needs to change
58:58 – Is ghostwriting alright?
1:02:00 – The old model of distribution: Nokia Story
1:04:09 – Why CEOs should work across industries?
1:09:12 – When you need the company vs. when it needs you
1:15:31 – Future hiring: soft skills first, train hard skills

-------------
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.
What is Neon Fund?
We invest in seed and early-stage founders from India and the diaspora building world-class Enterprise AI companies. We bring capital, conviction, and a community that’s done it before.
Subscribe for real founder stories, investor perspectives, economist breakdowns, and a behind-the-scenes look at how we’re doing it all at Neon.

-------------
Check us out on:
Website: https://neon.fund/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/
Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShoww

Connect with Siddhartha on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/
Twitter: https://x.com/sidd

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From a last-minute YC application to a $5 billion Company built on deep technical insight.

In this episode, Viral Bajaria, Co-Founder and CTO of 6sense, takes us back to the very beginning. He recounts his early days at Hulu, where managing massive data systems during the Super Bowl taught him how data could drive real business decisions.

Joining one of Y Combinator’s early batches, Viral recalls being interviewed by Sam Altman and Garry Tan, and how the team quit their jobs after getting in, moved into a small townhouse, and began writing code. While most startups begin with small customers, 6sense started with some of the biggest enterprise logos. Viral explains why repeatability and implementation are harder when selling only to large accounts, and how those lessons shaped their approach to building sustainable growth. 

He also reflects on the difficult years when growth stalled, when the company had to rebuild its product, and when they learned that great technology means little without strong go-to-market execution. 
It is a story about timing, conviction, and the patience to build for what will not change.

0:00- Trailer 
02:26- First job at Hulu & exposure to big data
06:36- YC interview by Sam altman & Garry tan
08:22- Quitting job for YC
11:07- First version: Big data analytics platform
12:12- Getting in YC batch that downsized from 130 to 47
13:27- The need & opportunity for a Merger
15:49- Why Founders should learn to let go & avoid slow death
16:07- Why everybody at YC advised against the merger?
18:16- A VC next door that chased 6sense
20:18- Rebuilding the product for B2B
20:57- How this startup started with the biggest logos?
21:59- Repeatability is hard when selling only to enterprise
22:47- There were lot of startups, with lot more money
23:32- How to build for things that won't change in 10 years?
29:24- Ad platforms only targeted People, Not companies
32:02- Why did 6sense get a new CEO?
33:50- Funding rounds that led to $5Billion
37:20- What 2013 Co’s were doing can be done with 1% today
38:39- When competition raises a $100M round
39:40- If you build a company on LLM, there is no data moat
42:02- What is the extent of guard rails for Agents?
43:59- Viral’s Investments in India & US Companies
54:44- Co’s should raise money to appear bigger than you are
56:55- Vibe spending: People are spending money to try AI
59:52- Is there a right time for vibe mode for every industry?
01:02:00- Service as a software is selling agency to customer
01:03:58- Why co’s in the US-india corridor will succeed?
01:17:27- Why Viral invested in Neon?

-------------
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.

What is Neon Fund?

We invest in seed and early-stage founders from India and the diaspora building world-class Enterprise AI companies. We bring capital, conviction, and a community that’s done it before.

Subscribe for real founder stories, investor perspectives, economist breakdowns, and a behind-the-scenes look at how we’re doing it all at Neon.

-------------
Check us out on:
Website: https://neon.fund/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/
Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShoww

Connect with Siddhartha on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/
Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7

-------------
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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How do you know whether an iOS app you have built has potential to be big? Getting an email from Steve Jobs is probably a strong indicator.

Ashish Toshniwal, founder of 10Kr and YML (Y Media Labs), started by trying a bit of everything: classifieds, Groupons, and Facebook apps. That email made him quit his job, but as Ashish says, it took him and YML 14 years to become an overnight success. YML helped businesses go mobile-first long before it became a buzzword, with over 45 Fortune 500 clients including Apple, PayPal, Meta, and Disney. 

Along the way, Ashish shares the real decisions every founder faces, such as when to take VC money, when to sell, and how to think about repeat business. He also reflects on turning down opportunities like Credit Karma equity (now worth $7billion), showing the tough choices early-stage founders make just to survive and keep their business running.

This is a story about timing, focus, and conviction, and what happens when you build something real: from Calcutta to Silicon Valley, one decision at a time.

0:00 – Trailer
03:24 – How the Co-founders met
05:28 – The first 3 ideas: Classifieds, Groupons & Facebook apps
06:30 – An email from Steve Jobs made Ashish quit his Job
07:59 – Building apps when App Store launched (Apple as a client too)
09:20 – YML was famous but not profitable
10:07 – Becoming the “app guys” of Silicon Valley
11:56 – The pivot: Stick with products or move to services?
13:43 – 6 acquisition offers on the table: Sell or not?
16:57 – The first exit: 60% acquired at $60M
18:38 – “We’d never seen that kind of money”
19:26 – IOS engineering was like AI engineering
20:13 – “If we don’t have repeat business, we don’t have business”
22:09 – Silicon valley is not a zipcode, it’s a mindset
23:54 – Clients came for design, stayed for engineering
26:11 – Does motivation change when equity shrinks?
29:01 – Firing and re-hiring yourself as founder CEO
30:50 – Why the final decision to sell YML was made
32:55 – The golden window of mobile
34:26 – Could YML have been a billion-dollar company?
37:34 – Turning down Credit Karma equity: now worth $7B
38:39 – Why CEOs are like travel agents
41:50 – Why Ashish invested in Neon
44:22 – What wealth truly enables
47:36 – Investing early in Tesla, Nvidia, and Meta
49:07 – Why founder-led companies outperform in public markets
50:54 – It’s easy to build products, harder to build real businesses
52:44 – If your product isn’t 10x better than ChatGPT, you have no chance
53:04 – The future of jobs: 5 roles merging into 2 with agents on top
57:25 – ChatGPT will not go after human-in-the-loop
59:35 – The first real challenge to Google’s dominance
1:01:59 – Building AI agents that do real work is incredibly hard

-------------
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.
What is Neon Fund?
We invest in seed and early-stage founders from India and the diaspora building world-class Enterprise AI companies. We bring capital, conviction, and a community that’s done it before.
Subscribe for real founder stories, investor perspectives, economist breakdowns, and a behind-the-scenes look at how we’re doing it all at Neon.
-------------
Check us out on:
Website: https://neon.fund/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/
Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShoww

Connect with Siddhartha on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/
Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7

-------------
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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Jay Vijayan, founder of Tekion, and Tesla’s former CIO, has one of the most remarkable careers in technology and automotive.

Jay joined as CIO when Tesla had almost no revenue and stayed through its growth to $5 billion ARR and $35 billion market cap. Elon Musk brought him in to build Tesla’s own ERP system at a time when most companies would have chosen ready-made solutions like SAP or Oracle.

Today, Jay leads Tekion, a company valued at over $4 billion that has raised more than $640 million and has companies like GM, BMW, Hyundai, and Exor as both customers and investors.

Jay talks about how Tekion is rethinking the experience of buying & servicing cars connecting dealers, manufacturers, and partners on one platform. He explains why the company spent four years building its first product, why they acquired real dealerships to understand the business end-to-end, and what it takes to build tech for such a complex industry.

This conversation is about building deep, meaningful products, making hard choices early, and maintaining focus when the world is moving too fast.

00:00 – Trailer
02:42 – What value Tekion brings to the automotive industry?
03:56 – Enabling dealers with car buying and servicing
05:41 – Helping manufacturers connect all customer touchpoints
07:02 – Supporting partners across loans and financing
07:34 – What was the industry like before Tekion?
09:37 – Why Tekion spend 4 years in stealth mode
11:50 – Acquiring dealerships to study the product end-to-end
16:38 – Should vertical SaaS companies invest in sector businesses?
20:30 – Stay Informed, but don’t get swayed by trends
22:57 – Why Subscription model didn't work for cars
25:30 – How can founders navigate overhyped trends safely?
26:22 – Differentiation in AI: solving valuable, sticky problems
28:24 – Every business function should have an AI agent
30:31 – How can AI agents improve car servicing?
32:56 – When customers turn investors
36:58 – Why experts opposed acquiring dealerships?
40:08 – Why build an ERP backend as an early stage company?
44:21 – Do not outsource core customer functions
46:37 – Taking on a failed family business
51:38 – Paying off huge debt over 10+ years
55:21 – When seed investors get a 400x growth
58:06 – What is the right attitude early in your career?

-------------
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.
What is Neon Fund?
We invest in seed and early-stage founders from India and the diaspora building world-class Enterprise AI companies. We bring capital, conviction, and a community that’s done it before.
Subscribe for real founder stories, investor perspectives, economist breakdowns, and a behind-the-scenes look at how we’re doing it all at Neon.

-------------
Check us out on:
Website: https://neon.fund/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/
Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShoww

Connect with Siddhartha on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/
Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7

-------------
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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Switzerland has quietly built one of the world’s most stable and trusted startup ecosystems.

Thomas Dübendorfer, founder and president of SICTIC, Switzerland’s largest angel investing network with over 500 members and more than 400 startups joins Neon show.

Thomas talks about how Switzerland’s startup scene has changed over the past decade from a cautious investor community to one that now has 58 unicorns across sectors like fintech, AI, crypto, and deeptech. 

He explains what Switzerland is doing in AI and commercial research, why a $900 billion economy still invests only $4 billion in startups, why most exits happen through acquisitions rather than IPOs, how Zurich and Bengaluru can build stronger startup ties and what India can learn from a country that builds quietly. 

Thomas also shares his own journey: leaving Google, building nine startups (three acquired), and backing over 40 founders as an angel investor. 

This episode is a rare inside look at how Switzerland, at the intersection of centuries-old wealth and technology, is building a strong innovation ecosystem.

00:00 – Trailer
01:07 – How has the Swiss startup ecosystem evolved over 12 years?
 03:36 – Why a $900B economy draws only $4B in startup funding
 04:35 – What is Switzerland known for around the world?
 05:12 – The lesser-known Unicorns
 07:12 – How can Zurich and Bengaluru build stronger startup ties?
 10:39 – Swiss institutions that are built to last
 11:24 – Building a strong nation among powerful neighbors
 12:32 – Alfred Escher: The founder of ETH Zurich
 12:57 – How Gotthard Tunnel shaped Swiss finance and engineering
 13:49 – Top companies that define Switzerland today
 16:15 – What is Switzerland doing in AI?
 18:49 – What are the exit routes for Swiss startups: IPOs or acquisitions?
 20:19 – Why Zurich has a high concentrations of family offices
 22:44 – Where Switzerland stands in Europe’s startup landscape
 24:16 – Why build companies when you can just fund them?
 27:26 – How Thomas chose his 40 angel investments
 28:57 – What do the Swiss think about the Indian startup ecosystem?

-------------
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.
What is Neon Fund?
We invest in seed and early-stage founders from India and the diaspora building world-class Enterprise AI companies. We bring capital, conviction, and a community that’s done it before.
Subscribe for real founder stories, investor perspectives, economist breakdowns, and a behind-the-scenes look at how we’re doing it all at Neon.

-------------
Check us out on:
Website: https://neon.fund/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/
Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShoww

Connect with Siddhartha on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/
Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7

-------------
This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice.

Send us Fan Mail

Ever received a push notification on your phone? There’s a good chance it came through MoEngage.

Raviteja Dodda, founder of MoEngage, shares the story of building a SaaS company from India that now sends 80 billion messages to 2 billion users across 1,200 brands. A decade-long  journey of MoEngage from its early years to becoming a category leader in customer engagement. 

He shares how the company grew by focusing on Indian customers as the strongest validation of product-market fit, before expanding globally by building regional teams with autonomy and hiring people with a founder’s mindset to navigate new markets.

Ravi also shares the why behind differences in pricing between US and Indian customers (think Swiggy vs DoorDash) and how revenue margins vary when selling in India versus abroad.

Whether you’re curious about the software powering some of the most familiar brands and apps we use every day, or want a behind-the-scenes look at how MoEngage built an $800M global SaaS business from India,then this episode is for you.

0:00 – Trailer
1:12 – Founder of software powering messages to 2B Users
3:50 – Building one of India’s first mobile apps
8:49 – Acquiring India’s top consumer Internet companies
10:12 – Mobile → online → offline: Covering all touchpoints
13:19 – How MoEngage became a category leader
16:52 – Customer support is extremely rewarding in India
24:12 – Reasons for Pricing gap: Swiggy vs. DoorDash
27:55 – Revenue margins: India vs. abroad
28:30 – Moving OLA from internal solution to Moengage
29:54 – Key milestones in MoEngage’s journey
32:32 – Revenue split across customers
33:37 – GTM to take a product built in India global
41:19 – Why MoEngage should’ve entered Europe earlier
43:51 – Middle East as the fastest-growing market
44:21 – People who create v/s people who execute playbooks
50:05 – How to sign large global customers from India?
52:54 – Spotting early adopters in new markets
55:59 – Can new companies win in mature categories?
59:13 – MoEngage’s position in AI
1:01:54 – Building a $10M ARR SaaS: US vs. India
1:03:57 – Scale in India first or go US on Day 0?
1:08:45 – MoEngage’s IPO timeline
1:10:05 – Most exciting SaaS companies from India
1:14:11 – Regional teams as mini-startups
1:16:51 – What worked for MoEngage in fundraising?

-------------
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.
What is Neon Fund?
We invest in seed and early-stage founders from India and the diaspora building world-class Enterprise AI companies. We bring capital, conviction, and a community that’s done it before.
Subscribe for real founder stories, investor perspectives, economist breakdowns, and a behind-the-scenes look at how we’re doing it all at Neon.

-------------
Check us out on:
Website: https://neon.fund/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/
Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShoww

Connect with Siddhartha on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/
Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7

-------------
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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This episode with Prof. Arun Kumar is a look at the Indian economy beyond headlines and GDP numbers. 

We discuss the paradox behind India’s growth story: when GDP rises, does it really reach the people? We explore how poverty in India has officially fallen from 27% to 5.3% in just over a decade, yet real wages have been shrinking, especially for rural workers. If fewer people are poor on paper, but incomes aren’t rising, what’s actually driving this improvement?

We talk about how the structure of India’s economy is changing, how wealth is concentrated, and the weakening of the public sector to how the black economy distorts policy outcomes.

We discuss why state finances are now becoming a silent crisis, and how India’s macroeconomic stability, while strong, hides inequalities that threaten long-term growth. The episode also explores the solutions, which India needs to fix over the next 20 years to make growth truly inclusive and meaningful for everyone.

0:00 – Trailer
1:01 – Does GDP growth translate to ground reality?
6:46 – Is India truly the 4th largest economy?
10:30 – Poverty fell 22% in 12 years, yet wages dropped.
14:06 – Does the poverty line reflect reality?
18:07 – What % of India is really poor?
21:00 – Are middle-class families going into debt for basics?
23:26 – How are rich, middle, and poor defined?
24:44 – Wealth is shifting
26:56 – How stable is India’s macroeconomy?
30:48 – Why India cannot open up some sectors
34:27 – Why R&D spending remains low in India
35:36 – Is the consensus on need for public sector falling?
38:18 – Black economy kills public sector
41:37 – How healthy are the Indian state economies?
44:51 – Is the tax split b/w centre and states working?
47:05 – How can India create jobs in Unorganised sectors?
53:12 – What are the solutions to fix Indian economy in next 20 years
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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.
What is Neon Fund?
We invest in seed and early-stage founders from India and the diaspora building world-class Enterprise AI companies. We bring capital, conviction, and a community that’s done it before.
Subscribe for real founder stories, investor perspectives, economist breakdowns, and a behind-the-scenes look at how we’re doing it all at Neon.

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Check us out on:
Website: https://neon.fund/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/
Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShoww

Connect with Siddhartha on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/
Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7

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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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“When I saw Google change the destiny of the planet, I could not imagine doing anything else but working with brilliant entrepreneurs.”

-Asha Jadeja Motwani and her husband, Rajeev Motwani, the Silicon Valley legend of technical startups, are together the founding stakeholders of Google.

In the late 1990s, they came to the United States as most Indians, as students. From being part of Google’s early days to their journey as investors and now, extending that into an active participation in American politics. She speaks about Rajeev’s pivotal role in mentoring Larry Page and Sergey Brin, co-authoring the PageRank paper, and helping shape Google’s DNA. 

Today, through the Motwani Jadeja Foundation, Asha continues to build on that legacy; funding entrepreneurs, supporting Indian voices in global think tanks, and opening doors at Davos and Washington. Asha also reflects on how the Indian diaspora can play a far greater role in shaping the future of India-US partnership and why entrepreneurs are critical to the future of this relationship.

If you’re an entrepreneur building in the India–US corridor, or curious about the opportunities the two nations are creating for startups, then this episode is for you.

00:00  – Trailer
01:25 – How Rajeev became founding stakeholder of Google
03:48 – The early days of Google: first office to first funding
07:52 – Investments of Dot Edu Ventures
10:03 – Asha’s role in American politics
10:45 – How Indians in Silicon Valley can strengthen US–India corridor
12:18 – The lack of Indian scholars in think tanks
13:14 – Do Indians have enough influence in American politics?
13:52 – Is Silicon Valley & the Indian diaspora shifting right?
15:00 – The impact of Trump on India–US relations
17:36 – Asha’s role in opening doors for India globally
21:09 – How the Motwani Foundation selects projects and people
24:08 – Entrepreneurs as a critical part of US–India value creation
24:54 – What’s missing in US–India value creation?
26:33 – Report on “jailed for doing business” in India
27:56 – The legacy of Rajeev Motwani

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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.

What is Neon Fund?

We invest in seed and early-stage founders from India and the diaspora building world-class Enterprise AI companies. We bring capital, conviction, and a community that’s done it before.

Subscribe for real founder stories, investor perspectives, economist breakdowns, and a behind-the-scenes look at how we’re doing it all at Neon.

-------------

Check us out on:
Website: https://neon.fund/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/
Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShoww

Connect with Siddhartha on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/
Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7

-------------

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

Send us Fan Mail