ET Startup Awards 2019: BookMyShow CEO impressed with Tricog's goals; Swiggy boss reveals a behind-the-scenes secret

“A billion dollars is a lot of money. I would invest a large part of it towards using artificial intelligence for safety and security, to make things safe and to have better human integration with AI. We don’t want to make humanity redundant, do we? My money is on the future of work where humanity and technology work seamlessly.”

“I would invest a billion dollars to develop a process to take out the friction in employment. We would find a way to connect demand and supply, disintermediate and process manage it. I have been connected to this industry for 30 years and it is ready for the next jump in technology now. Another sector that has tremendous potential is holographics and how the representation of events through holographic displays can bring people closer to each other.”

“Creating an open architecture infrastructure for accelerating electric mobility is the next big thing, but the idea is not going to be limited to a product — it will encompass the entire mobility ecosystem, involving multiple stakeholders across OEMs, governments, cities, public transport and technology companies. Providing energy as a service and expanding from charging and swapping infrastructure to mobility solutions and core technologies in batteries and powertrains will drive electric mobility in India that can be replicated globally.”

“The ecosystem is starved for longterm capital. I would give a billion dollars to create a credit platform that serves Indian fintechs. While that’s for growth, I would also put the money on ideas to bring down child mortality rates and neonatal healthcare.”

“Ideas are many but the quantum of a billion dollars doesn’t really matter unless it’s used to create a social impact. One area I would like to put money on is empowering artisans from the North-East. Not just money, they lack recognition and platforms too.”

“I would bankroll an ecosystem of startups that will desalinate our oceans. My father has spent many years of his life on alternate energy, so I was always curious about finding more efficient ways. You know something’s not right when there is so much flooding but no water to drink.”