Get All Access for $5/mo

Why Chennai is the Next Hub for Startupreneurs? FRO 2018 is one of the largest emerging platforms for Business Aspirants to socialize and learn

By Aastha Singal

You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

Franchise India

Bengaluru has been rewarded with the title of India's startup hub due to a huge network of technology entrepreneurs coming from the region. Even Delhi and Mumbai have been among the cities to have given the nation renowned names. However, Chennai has remained an underrated city despite having a plethora of active angel investors operating in the region.

While there is no dearth of promising entrepreneurs in the city, their demure nature has kept them hidden in the shadows. Nonetheless, the city's highly literate population and skilled technical talent have turned it into an attractive market for budding entrepreneurs. The region's economy was earlier more dependent on the automobile industry but has shifted towards the information technology sector.

The recent years have witnessed a humongous rise of entrepreneurship in the region with startups like Freshdesk, OrangeSpace, Bharatmatrimony, Zoho and CaratLane doing exceptionally well in their respect fields. The city has an interesting DNA about being a conservative but the fact that it has been a leading business city with many well-established and diversified family-owned groups can't be neglected.

Why Chennai?

Chennai is home to many angel investors with deep pockets willing to invest in startups with innovative ideas, which has become a plus for the ambitious entrepreneurs looking for growth opportunities. The factors of good governance and integrity further make Chennai the preferred city for business leaders.

The digital disruption has opened a variety of opportunities for young startupentrepreneurs. The evolution of technology has ignited a desire of owning a business among millennials and Bengaluru, which most new entrepreneurs prefer over other cities to run their business in can't accommodate them all. Hence, Chennai is the place they turn to.

Funds Flowing

The issue of Tamil Nadu-based companies preferring to invest in Bengaluru over Chennai had become a matter of concern recently but with the state government's recent announcement confirming that investments worth Rs 45,000 crore are in the pipeline. The State industries minister M C Sampath believes that the availability of good roads, ports, railways and airports would work as a positive factor.

Chennai is among the top Indian cities with best human resources due to a maximum number of engineering and medical colleges in the region. The promised investments are expected to be for a long period due to proper government policy with a good infrastructure.

Aastha Singal

Entrepreneur Staff

Former Features Writer

A business journalist looking to find happiness in the world of startups, investments, MSMEs and more. Officially started her career as a news reporter for News World India, Aastha had short stints with NDTV and NewsX. A true optimist seeking to make a difference, she is a comic junkie who'd rather watch a typical Bollywood masala than a Hollywood blockbuster. 

Business News

Want to Start a Business? Skip the MBA, Says Bestselling Author

Entrepreneur Josh Kaufman says that the average person with an idea can go from working a job to earning $10,000 a month running their own business — no MBA required.

News and Trends

Ted Sarandos, Netflix Co-CEO, says, 'Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar is our biggest drama series to date in India'

As the SanjayLeela Bhansali-created web series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar made a huge contribution to the second quarter 2024 earnings of Netflix, the company highlighted the show that celebrates a true-blue Indian story

Starting a Business

They Showed Up to Apple With a Product They Built in Their Dorm Room. Now These Entrepreneurs Are on the Way to Changing the Way Fans Watch Sports.

How Rahat Kulshreshtha and Gaurav Mehta launched Quidich Innovation Labs, technology that is literally changing the game of sports viewership.

News and Trends

Edtech in 2023: A Year Of Layoffs and Funding Crunch

Edtech unicorn Byju's was engulfed with multiple problems this year, which led to skepticism about the entire sector

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Business News

How Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Transformed a Graphics Card Company Into an AI Giant: 'One of the Most Remarkable Business Pivots in History'

Here's how Nvidia pivoted its business to explore an emerging technology a decade in advance.