The best mantra for entrepreneurs to thrive in a startup venture is to bulldoze all odds, says Indian American investor Gururaj 'Desh' Deshpande.

 

 "An entrepreneur should not worry about hurdles. He should be passionate enough about his ideas to overcome all odds," Deshpande told IANS in an interview.

 

 Deshpande was appointed co-chairman of US President Barack Obama's National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship three years ago.

 

  He said innovation was the key to success in entrepreneurship, and that Indian entrepreneurs should focus on the Indian market first before exploring the overseas market.

 

 "Indian entrepreneurs should focus on the solutions (irrespective of industry) which are very cost effective and there is scalability. Later on, quality can be injected into it," Deshpande said.

 

 He said that in the US, around 500,000 startups every year generate four million jobs.

 

 "We look into four things – good idea, good entrepreneurship, good mentors and access to capital. The best way to build entrepreneurship is to celebrate entrepreneurship."

 

 In the US, the "Celebrate Entrepreneurship" initiative has travelled through various cities to inspire many people wanting to take a plunge into the entrepreneurship pool, Deshpande said.

 

 He said India needs to improve its "product culture" from "service culture". To inculcate product culture in the country, people should be able to anticipate a market and should be ready to invest accordingly.

 

IANS