Culture Calls episode with Venk Krishnan and Madan Padaki

TiE’s Journey and Bharat as an Innovation Capital

India has built one of the world’s fastest-growing startup ecosystems. The next challenge is far bigger: can India become a global innovation capital?

In this episode of Culture Calls, Madan Padaki, Global Trustee of TiE, and Venk Krishnan, President of TiE Bangalore, discuss what it will take for India to move from creating startups to building institutions that shape the future.

The conversation explores Bengaluru’s rise as an innovation hub, TiE’s role in mentoring entrepreneurs, AI, deep tech, venture capital, startup funding, founder resilience, women entrepreneurship, and why value creation must take precedence over chasing valuations.

It also examines India’s entrepreneurial culture through UPI, Jan AI, government policy, the Bharat opportunity, and the next generation of founders building for India and the world. With examples from Flipkart, Ola, Rapido, Zerodha and Zoho, the episode asks what truly defines a company of value.

This is not just a conversation about startups. It is about leadership, institutions, long-term thinking, and building an innovation-driven India.