The Indus Entrepreneurs, or TiE, conducted this year’s Charter Member Global Retreat from 3rd to 6th August, 2017. The annual event, conducted to nurture networking and connectivity among its Charter Members spread around the globe, was held this year at Cape Town, South Africa, at the Table Bay Hotel. Being a CM, Mukund got an opportunity to attend this annual event. This was his first trip to the continent.
What is the TiE Retreat all about?
TiE fosters entrepreneurship around the world. The global summit/retreat is an annual event for its charter members, so that they can interact, learn and network with entrepreneurs and visionaries from across the globe. At this year’s retreat, we had some amazing presentations and speakers, including Tim Harris, CEO of Wesgro, Zelda La Grange, Nelson Mandela’s personal assistant of 16 years, and AJ Patel, TiE Founder and Chairman, Mara Wildlife Conservation. We also had a Gala evening where TiE members and chapters were honoured for their contributions.
So was it more like a conference?
Not at all. We had a lot of fun and some really exciting experiences like steel cage diving to see the Great White shark, mountain hiking at the Table Top Mountain, Robben island visits, etc. TiE retreats are more geared towards understanding the local economy, sight-seeing, business opportunities and networking. Actually, the entire retreat is built around making deep and extensive networking connections.
Tell us about one such connection you made
With pleasure. Nitin Rai, Vice Chairman of TiE Global and Chair of TiE Angels, visited Suyati shortly after our return from Cape Town. He had come down to Kerala for the TiE Kerala Retreat at Kumarakom, and was happy to drop in at Suyati for a quick visit. We spoke about setting up a Kerala Angel Network, and I got some really valuable insights from him on how to scrutinize and qualify companies that seek investment. I consider this great value addition to my experience and understanding about this ever-changing industry.
So is the next step to look at business opportunities in South Africa?
Maybe! South Africa seems like a great entry point for the rest of Africa, as it is more structured and offers more clarity in terms of business laws. So things are relatively simpler for those who want to set up business there or access the rest of Africa from there. Other places aren’t bad, just that the judicial system of this particular region seem to be much closer to the western laws that Indians might be familiar with. SA also has great educational institutions where students from the rest of Africa come to study. Looking at all this, it seems like an ideal place to set up a business – Cape Town feels like a great place for IT and innovation.
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So would you say South Africa is more business-ready than the rest of Africa?
Hmm, maybe not in those specific words, but I would say SA definitely has more IT in place than the other places I visited like Kenya, Zambia, etc. Places like Kenya offers a lot of opportunities in terms of data monetization. It will be a good way to uplift their society – they will be able to share the data they create and charge for it. Empowering them with the possibilities of IT would be a great step. I landed in Kenya on the day of their national elections, and it was amazing to see thousands of people queuing up to vote. With such steadily improving dynamics of the continent, Africa has tremendous opportunities to grow and develop its citizens in terms of education and career opportunities.
What did you think about the famous African Safari?
One thing that struck me as impressive was how Africans left Nature alone! We were lucky to be in Africa during the great migration. Maasai Mara, the place I visited, seemed to be untainted by human interference. We were able to see animals in their natural habitat. We waited several hours near the Mara River to observe the river crossing, but unfortunately due to the presence of crocodiles, that did not happen. While we managed to see most of the big five in their natural habitat, this river crossing was a sight we missed. We were later informed by our tour guide that the zebras and other wild beasts made their crossing the next day.
Any experience that stood out during the whole trip?
The whole trip was very fruitful, but what really stood out for me was when I was invited to visit and stay at a Maasai home. The Maasai Tribe stay in tiny living spaces – maybe 100 sqft or so – and yet they are very happy without any of the basic necessities like running water or electricity. They’re such warm, welcoming people, and follow a very modest lifestyle – they herd sheep and cows for a living, have a very simple diet, and are pretty non-materialistic. There are government schools in the vicinity where their children study. Some members of the Tribe have relocated to Nairobi and other cities in search of better employment, but the rest continue to live and move together in perfect harmony with Nature.
So it is safe to say that your African Safari was a memorable one?
Most definitely. It was a great experience where I made a lot of friends, business connections, explored a new continent, built deeper relationships, and came back with the Maasai experience that makes me feel more grateful for what I have.
