Ratan Tata, California University join hands for long-term investments in India's start-ups, new companies

RNT Associates, the investment vehicle of veteran industrialist Ratan Tata, announced a partnership with the University of California to look at funding-appropriate startups, new companies and other enterprises in India. [caption id=“attachment_2613666” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Industrialist Ratan Tata[/caption]   “We are here today to announce a partnership with the University of California and ourselves - basically to look at funding appropriate startups, new companies and other enterprises in India,” Tata told reporters here. He also said many details need to be worked out and it is at a concept stage. However, it is a very far-sighted step to recognise the new industry that is emerging in India, Tata added. “It is a very far-sighted step to recognise the new industry that is emerging in India - (it is) not an extension of the industrial growth of any of us,” he said. Asked about the duration of investment, the University of California’s Chief Investment Officer, Vice President of Investments, Jagdeep Singh Bachher said they are looking at five to tens years of investment. “The most important thing is the alignment of five to 10 years long-term investment, not looking for quick solutions. I don’t think there is the capital issue. I don’t think access to talent is the issue. I don’t think there is any problem finding ideas to work on,” he said. The partnership means there is a great runway that these opportunities have the ability to become collectively the new India which is exciting, Bachher said. Tata also said young people coming from US universities and some of them from the University of California, can work together for cementing ties involving high, low and new technologies. To a query, Tata said, “What we are hoping to do is to provide mobility of these new startups to be partly funded to get interconnected.” The partnership will cater to the needs of their businesses, he added. Replying to another query, Tata said “meeting after six months or a year, we will have found a better feel of what we have found, along the way resulted in investment.” Talking about the nature of partnership, Tata said the “University of California, through its system, they have areas where great assistance will come to an entrepreneur which he himself would not be able to put together, and there may be areas in our side that the University of California has not seen an outlet, but an outlet does exist.” PTI