VCCircle E-Commerce Forum 2010: Are we at an inflection point?
An exclusive offline meetup to capture the latest trends in Indian e-commerce.
Ten years after the great dotcom crash, the Indian e-commerce is finally standing at a crossroads. Fuelled by a growing broadband and mobile population, and as Indian consumers shed their fears to make transactions online, there are all indications that e-commerce is finally taking off.
The business environment for online commerce is much more real today, compared to a decade back when the dotcom froth turned into a bust. India’s changing demographic profile, higher disposable incomes, and a well-heeled and tech-savvy urban population are driving this trend. The trend will only get stronger with a new regime of 3G and broadband wireless access set to become a reality in India. Indians are also early adopters of the latest internet phenomena like social networking and social media, strengthening internet as a medium and channel to conduct commerce.
Key trends
* Online book buying is back with a leading retailer selling a book a minute online.
* There is customer delight with prompt delivery and flawless payment mechanisms building trust in consumers.
* Online travel ticketing has gotten mature with more and more Indians making their travel plans online - be it on third party websites or airline sites.
* Classifieds have made a successful transition online with jobs and matrimonial taking the lead.
* Online retailers are now pushing a larger number of categories such as electronics and white goods.
* Innovative models like group buying are being tested and launched in the market.
* Exclusive and membership based fashion discount stores are mushrooming.
As these trends unfold, entrepreneurs of all hues and investors are keenly watching the consumption behavior of this online-tuned population. This space, once a darling of venture capital funds and tech entrepreneurs, will continue to find takers as they are less capital intensive and highly scalable, the factors investors love. The key is to find the right model, the ability to capture the pulse of the online audience (which in many ways is fickle and is spoilt for choice), and most importantly, the execution and the customer delight.
Now, with rich experience from the first dotcom experience, both entrepreneurs and investors would take care not to rush in. So, what are the key takeaways from the 1999 days? Do we know which models to avoid and which to chase? Are we any wiser today? Are valuations in this space still unrealistic and driven by global examples like Amazon and Groupon?
This space, exciting as it may be, has a deep dark past that has burnt the aspirations of many a tech entrepreneur and a VC mainly because it had come in too early in India’s tech growth cycle. Will we get the act right the second time round?
The key questions are:
* Do we have a critical mass of online population to create a large e-commerce business?
* Do online consumers easily punch their credit card details online?
* Do we have an infrastructure to support e-commerce such as secure payment gateways, efficient logistics, and a delightful customer support?
* Are online buyers concentrated only in metros?
* Will small towns and semi-rural townships ever be part of the e-commerce story?
* And finally do Indians have a mindset to buy online or are a majority of them still fixated with physical transactions?
VCCircle has put together a unique conference where entrepreneurs, venture capital funds, technology and solutions suppliers and ecosystem watchers will try to demystify and navigate the changing contours of the great Indian e-commerce story.
9:00am - 9:15am
Introduction Note
Sahad P.V., Founder & Publisher, VCCircle Network
9:30am - 10:40am
Panel I: E-commerce in India: Are we at an inflection point?
- The early success stories indicating a take-off of e-commerce in India.
- B2B and B2C
- An analysis of online consumer behavior.
- The macro versus micro factors affecting e-commerce.
- Are there viable and scalable models in Indian e-commerce space?
- The hype versus reality.
- Execution. Execution and Execution.
- Is mobile payments the way of the future?
- Growth of credit cards, alternate options like debit, cash on delivery, net payment
Mahesh Murthy - Managing Partner, Seedfund (Moderator)
Vivek Nayak - COO, Avenue India Pvt Ltd.
Manik Arora - MD, IDG Ventures
Murugavel Janakiraman - Founder, Consim Info Pvt. Ltd.
K Vaitheeswaran - CEO, Indiaplaza.in
10:40am - 11:20am
Keynote Interview With Flipkart Founders
Sachin Bansal & Binny Bansal, Founders, Flipkart
Mohanjit Jolly - Executive Director, Draper Fisher Jurvetson
11:20am - 11:50am
Tea & Networking Break
11:50am - 1:00pm
Panel II: In Search Of India’s Amazon
- Will the retailing of pin-to-plane spread work in India?
- Is Indian online commerce restricted to a few niches?
- Beyond travel: What are other emerging themes?
Bejul Somaia - MD, Lightspeed Venture Partners (Moderator)
Subrata Mitra - Partner, Accel Partners
Alok Mittal - MD, Canaan Partners
Harish Bahl - Founder & CEO, Smile Interactive
Amarinder Dhaliwal - Head, eCommerce, Times Internet Limited
1:00pm - 2:00pm
Lunch & Networking
2:00pm - 3:00pm
Panel III: VCCircle Red-Hot
- Books or multiple categories?
- Fashion discount stores
- Group buying and deals junkies
- Is the online consumer a bargain-hunter and a value-shopper only?
TC Meenakshisundaram - MD, IDG Ventures (Moderator)
Kunal Bahl - Head, Snapdeal
John Kurivilla - Founder & CEO, Taggle
Kunal Sinha - Founder & CEO, Rx HealthCare Magic
Suvir Sujan - Co-Founder, Nexus Venture Partners
3:00pm - 3:40pm
Fireside Chat: The Future Of Indian Internet: Will It Be Dominated By Transaction Based Models?
Shailendra Singh - MD, Sequoia Capital India (Moderator)
Sanjeev Bikhchanchani - Founder & Executive Vice Chairman, Naukri.com
Avnish Bajaj - MD, Matrix Partners India
3:40pm - 4:40pm
Tea & Networking break
3:40pm - 4:40pm
VCCircle Lounge
A structured networking Initiative where 10 fast-growing e-commerce companies will get to sell their stories to India’s prolific venture capital & PE Funds in a structured & defined 60-minute exclusive session.
4:40pm - 6:00pm
VCCircle Spark
A platform featuring select entrepreneurs and some of India's self-styled and unique enterprises. Spark will literally be a journey into the life of the enterprise, from the time it started to its unique propositions to how it tackled business environment and internal challenges. Spark is aimed to be an interactive platform where entrepreneurs can highlight key milestones and critical lessons learnt along the way.
Mukesh Bansal - CEO, Myntra
Dhiraj Kacker - Founder & CEO, Canvera
Mohit Dubey - CEO, Carwale
Vishal Mehta - CEO, Infibeam.com
6:00pm - 6:15pm
Concluding remarks
6:15pm - 8pm
VCCircle Unwind
VCCircle Unwind, a zone of informal networking over cocktails.
IDG Ventures India is a US$150 Million early-stage venture capital fund investing in technology-related product and services companies. The fund is part of IDG Ventures, a global network of technology venture funds with over $3.7 billion under management, over 220 investee companies and 10 offices across Asia and North America. IDG Ventures makes investments on behalf of its Limited Partners, including its principal investor and sponsor, International Data Group (IDG), the world's largest IT media company. By combining the IDG platform - an unparalleled combination of global publishing, market research (IDC), and conferences and exhibition resources - with years of hands-on experience in early-stage company building, IDG Ventures helps its investee companies understand their markets better and penetrate them faster than their competition.
Leading technology companies that IDG Ventures has invested in include BabyCenter, F5 Networks, Netscape, Service Metrics and VA Linux in North America and Baidu, Ctrip, Sohu, Tencent and VinaGame in Asia.
Our India portfolio consists of 3D Solid Compression, Agile, Apalya, Aujas Networks, ConnectM, iCreate, iProf, iViZ, Kreeda, Manthan Systems, Myntra, Ozone Media, Perfint, Sourcebits and Vserv.
For more information, please visit www.idgvcindia.com
Sequoia Capital India currently manages funds capitalized at close to US $1.8 billion and invests across venture, growth and late stage opportunities. It takes a long term view on investments and plays the role of an active, value added partner to entrepreneurs, business families and management teams. Over the last 10 years, Sequoia Capital India has invested in more than 55 Indian companies including Applabs, Café Coffee Day, Comviva (Bharti Telesoft), Dr Lal Pathlabs, Edelweiss, Firstsource, GVK Biosciences, Idea Cellular, Just Dial, Shaadi.com and SKS Microfinance. Sequoia Capital India operates out of offices in Bangalore, Mumbai and New Delhi.
Globally, Sequoia Capital has an unparalleled track record of partnering with entrepreneurs to create global market leaders. Sequoia Capital has been an early investor in companies such as Google, Cisco, Yahoo, YouTube, Oracle and Apple Computers. Sequoia Capital maintains dedicated teams in the US, China, India and Israel.
Sequoia Capital India currently manages funds capitalized at close to US $1.8 billion and invests across venture, growth and late stage opportunities. It takes a long term view on investments and plays the role of an active, value added partner to entrepreneurs, business families and management teams. Over the last 10 years, Sequoia Capital India has invested in more than 55 Indian companies including Applabs, Café Coffee Day, Comviva (Bharti Telesoft), Dr Lal Pathlabs, Edelweiss, Firstsource, GVK Biosciences, Idea Cellular, Just Dial, Shaadi.com and SKS Microfinance. Sequoia Capital India operates out of offices in Bangalore, Mumbai and New Delhi.
Globally, Sequoia Capital has an unparalleled track record of partnering with entrepreneurs to create global market leaders. Sequoia Capital has been an early investor in companies such as Google, Cisco, Yahoo, YouTube, Oracle and Apple Computers. Sequoia Capital maintains dedicated teams in the US, China, India and Israel.
Founded in 1983, Accel Partners has had a long history of excellence and innovation in the venture capital business and is dedicated to partnering with outstanding entrepreneurs and management teams to build world-class businesses. Accel today invests globally using dedicated teams and market-specific strategies for local geographies, with offices in Palo Alto, California, London, UK, and Bangalore, India as well as in China via the IDG-Accel Partnership.
With over $6 billion under management, Accel has helped entrepreneurs build over 300 successful companies, many of which have defined their categories including Actuate, Acopia, Agile Software, Alfresco, AMCC, Arrowpoint, BBN, Brightcove, ComScore, Etsy, Facebook, Foundry Networks, GlamMedia, Imperva, Infinera, Interwoven, JBoss, Kayak, Macromedia, Maven Networks, metroPCS, Polycom/PictureTel, Portal Software, QlikTech, Rapt, Real Networks, Redback Networks, Riverbed, UUNet, Veritas, Walmart.com, Webroot, Wily Technology, XenSource and Zimbra. Accel India has invested in many early stage companies such as Flipkart, Chakpak, HolidayIQ, Inbiopro, Kaati Zone, Kirusa, MuSigma, Myntra, Perfint, etc. For more information, please visit the Accel Partners web site at www.accel.com.
Lightspeed manages over $2 billion of committed capital and invests across the U.S., China, India, and Israel. We are currently investing out of Lightspeed VIII, an $800 million fund raised in 2008. Lightspeed has invested in direct and cross-border Indian companies since 2004, and has an Indian advisory team with offices in New Delhi.
Lightspeed invests across stages and sectors in India, with investment sizes in the range of $2 million to $25 million. Our principal interest is to provide growth-stage or early-stage capital to talented entrepreneurs and management who seek to disrupt or transform large markets in the domestic economy. We invest in technology-led businesses as well as in non-technology opportunities in sectors such as financial services, education, energy and rural markets.
Lightspeed manages over $2 billion of committed capital and invests across the U.S., China, India, and Israel. We are currently investing out of Lightspeed VIII, an $800 million fund raised in 2008. Lightspeed has invested in direct and cross-border Indian companies since 2004, and has an Indian advisory team with offices in New Delhi.
Lightspeed invests across stages and sectors in India, with investment sizes in the range of $2 million to $25 million. Our principal interest is to provide growth-stage or early-stage capital to talented entrepreneurs and management who seek to disrupt or transform large markets in the domestic economy. We invest in technology-led businesses as well as in non-technology opportunities in sectors such as financial services, education, energy and rural markets.
VCC Events opens up the avenues for participation. Join hands to be a part of India’s largest gathering of alternative investments leaders, industry stakeholders and Asia’s influential limited partners, general partners and marquee advisors. Your chance to actively participate and augment yourself as thought leaders.
ITC Windsor, Bengaluru
ITC Windsor, Bengaluru
Contact: Business Attire
Distance: 25, Windsor Square, Golf Course Road, Bangalore 56
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