Microsoft Ventures Launches Hotline to Jumpstart Entrepreneurship in India


BANGALORE: Microsoft Ventures in India announced the launch of “JumpStart,” a hotline to provide startups and entrepreneurs with a resource to ask business and technical questions. Open during business hours Monday-Friday 9am to 5pm Indian Standard Time, a team of dedicated professionals will be available to answer questions at 1 (800) 200-2114, a toll free number across India.

“Microsoft Ventures supports startups at every stage of maturity by providing them with the tools, resources and expertise they need to succeed,” said Joseph Landes, General Manager, Developer & Platform Evangelism, Microsoft India. “Our experience has shown that a major pain point for startups across the ecosystem in India, irrespective of their stage of maturity, is the lack of real-time support for various critical queries they face. JumpStart fills a major gap and ensures that startups get professional advice that enables them to make smart business decisions,” said Landes.

JumpStart will be staffed by dedicated professionals who have been trained by Microsoft to answer business and technical queries. Microsoft will apply the learnings from these calls to fine tune the Microsoft Ventures program, including the India Accelerator, to make it more impactful for its recipients.

JumpStart is widely welcomed by the government and industry leaders throughout India.  Congratulating Microsoft, Srivatsa Krishna, IAS, Secretary, IT, Biotechnology, Science & Technology and Secretary, E-Governance, Government of Karnataka, who was present at the launch, said: “So many great ideas are born every day. While some are nurtured by the industry, many face a short lifespan because they go unnoticed and end up making wrong decisions due to lack of proper guidance or information.

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