Starburst, aerospace and defence accelerator, will now work with startups from the aviation and defence sectors in India.
Global aerospace and defence accelerator Starburst announced its expansion to India today, just weeks after it launched an Aviation Tech Accelerator Program in Singapore.
Starburst India will operate out of Mumbai and also maintain a presence in Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad through partnerships in the aviation and defence (A&D) ecosystem. It also plans to launch an early-stage accelerator program in India, which will connect Indian startups to the platform’s network of global partners in government and private sectors.
Abhinav Anuket, managing partner and CEO of Starburst India, believes that the global aerospace and defence accelerator has timed its entry into India perfectly. The opening up of the A&D ecosystem, the influx of many exciting startups with global aspirations such as Agnikul, Skyroot, and Pixel, and the support such companies receive both from private investors and government-backed agencies, make India an exciting place, he says.
“We are at the very early stages of the market opening up and privatization happening in the aerospace and space tech ecosystem in India,” says Anuket. “There is a lot of interest in the start up community; they are trying to figure out what they can do for the Indian ecosystem within the A&D category. The Indian government, the DRDO, ISRO; they are all rallying behind this new breed of entrepreneurs. We wanted to go in early, in the early stages of development of the ecosystem, and become true neighbors.
Poised for Growth
“From the market standpoint, A&D is exactly where e-commerce was 15 years ago in India,” says Anuket, who previously founded Magnivia Ventures, a US based, strategic investment and venture development firm. “Entrepreneurs who have done projects with government agencies such as ISRO and DRDO have figured out that they need to be a part of a more collaborative ecosystem internationally, and then build ventures by spinning out projects outside of the government agencies. There are many such initiatives happening. While they receive ongoing support from these government agencies, they are also enabled by private groups of investors who are interested in pushing these agendas forward. We want to help entrepreneurs develop their capabilities and also work with the larger investor pool and enablers who are trying to participate in the ecosystem.”
India is the second biggest arms importer in the world and is among the top five countries when it comes to the size of defence budgets. It is also one of the fastest growing aviation markets, with passenger traffic expected to exceed more than a billion in the next 15-20 years. “Everything else that we are concerned with at Starburst, be it urban mobility, domestic airspace innovation or space tech in general, these are markets that are opening up in India,” says Anuket. “We want to build relationships early and also enable cross-cultural exchanges from the talent perspective as well as the R&D perspective.”
Starburst India will help startups that are looking to do business in India or Indian companies that are looking to do business outside. “We do get a lot of requests from startups,” says Anuket. “We also have a team that does a lot of research and actively engages with startups. We also work with government-backed agencies to find out where they feel most confident in terms of supporting these companies. As for the number of startups that we would be working with in India, I think it is too early to comment on that.”
Anuket is confident that Starburst India would have a “massive” impact on the country’s aviation and defence sectors. “We have access to the top five A&D ecosystem players in India” he says. “We have already opened up conversations with people who are running programs with ISRO or DRDO. We are looking to get the endorsement from the government agencies in India. We also want long-term relationships with corporate partners.”
Helping Hand for International Companies
Apart from helping local talent, Starburst India would also be able to help international companies that are looking to do business in India, says Anuket. “If you think of Boeing or Raytheon or some of the others that are going to India directly and trying to participate with some of the ecosystem players there, we serve as the better conduit for all these efforts. International players coming to India want to talk with entrepreneurs in the local ecosystem and participate in the innovation agendas. We are in a position to enable that. That is the strength of Starburst as a platform. I am confident that we will be able to replicate in India what we are doing in Israel, Singapore, U.S. and other countries.”
India’s recent focus on self-reliance is something that Anuket and his team are watching closely. “We are very sensitive to what the Indian government is trying to do,” he says. “Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, Make in India; all of these things come into play for a platform like us. As much as we are about enabling startups, we also want to be champions for these domestic agendas without veering off from our own agenda, which is to build a a collaborative, democratized global platform. We are putting a lot of effort into building program structures that do not create any kind of conflicts of interest for private entrepreneurs who, at the end of the day, also need to deal with the government.”
Expanding Global Footprint
The Aviation Tech Accelerator Program in Singapore, launched early in September in association with Enterprise Singapore, Singapore Airlines, SATS and Panasonic Avionics Corporation, will focus on relevant challenge areas shared by airlines, airports, ground handlers, MRO companies and other connections to the aviation ecosystem. The program will work with ten select aviation startups per year. Startups can submit applications until Oct. 30.
Starburst has established its presence in the Middle East and is currently working on the Abu Dhabi Early Stage Program. The Allied Defence Accelerator program that it launched earlier this year involves the Royal Air Force, U.K.’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, U.K. Strategic Command, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Space Force and NATO. The platform also has joined hands with the French Ministry of Armed Forces’ Defense Innovation Agency for technology scouting and startup acceleration.
The tech accelerator, which has offices in Los Angeles, Paris, Munich, London, Seoul, Singapore and Tel Aviv, works with more than 7000 startups and major players in the aerospace and defense industry. Francois Chopard is the founder and CEO of the company while Van Espahbod and Sandra Budimir are co-founders.
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