Beyond Borders: The Indian Founder’s Guide to Going Global

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India’s startup engine is firing on all cylinders. With over 1.5 lakh DPIIT-recognized startups and venture capital funding hitting $13.7 billion in 2024, the country is now the second-largest VC destination in Asia-Pacific. But as more Indian founders build bold, high-potential companies, a new question is taking center stage: How do you go global, and actually get it right?

In this webinar from Leap to Unicorn Season 3, Ankit Anand - partner at Riceberg Ventures - shared his hard-won insights from investing in and building deep tech startups across India and Europe. A physicist-turned-entrepreneur-turned-VC, Ankit has seen firsthand what it takes to scale globally, and where most startups go wrong.

Here’s his seven-point playbook for founders ready to take the leap.

1. Go Global from Day One

Retrofitting a local product for global markets rarely works. Ankit is clear: if your vision is to serve global customers, design your product, culture, and processes for that scale from day zero. Especially in B2B and deep tech, where market size and scalability are everything, this early orientation makes all the difference.

Founders often assume they can test with Indian customers, then "adapt" for international buyers. But international markets, particularly the US and Europe, have very different benchmarks for quality, reliability, and pricing. If you’re not building to those standards early, it’s hard to catch up later.

2. Stay Close to Your Customers (Even When They’re Far)

Proximity matters. Startups in the US scale faster because they’re close to their buyers. Indian startups with global aspirations need to compensate for that distance. That might mean spending extended time in your target market, finding design partners abroad, or recruiting leadership talent with overseas experience.

You can’t build for someone you don’t deeply understand. Even in deep tech, where products are universal, the buying process is not. Go where your customers are.

3. Build Differentiation, Not Just Affordability

India’s edge in affordability only goes so far. When competing globally, especially in hardware or manufacturing, you’re not just competing with Western incumbents - you’re up against China. And China’s price-efficiency is hard to beat.

The real advantage? Building something others haven’t. Whether it’s a novel tech application or a new scientific breakthrough, solving a unique problem gives you leverage. Don’t aim to be the cheaper option. Aim to be the only option.

4. Understand the Regulatory Landscape

From medtech to fintech to space tech, regulations can make or break your expansion. Ankit recommends founders pursue the most stringent and globally respected certifications first (like FDA or CE), then localize as needed. This top-down approach makes global scaling easier.

If your sector is less regulated, the playbook is simpler. But if you’re in a regulated space, building with compliance in mind from day one saves years of backtracking later.

5. Don’t Let Distribution Kill Your Momentum

In many sectors, building a brand takes time and money. If you can’t afford to scale your own salesforce globally, consider distribution partners or licensing arrangements to get your foot in the door.

These models can accelerate traction without draining resources. Just make sure your long-term goal is clear: use partnerships to learn and build credibility - then move toward owning your brand and channels.

6. Find the Right Kind of Capital

Not all startups are VC startups. After all, VCs invest for scale and outlier returns. As Ankit mentions, only 13% of startup investments succeed - which means that the returns from these 13% have to make up for the 87% who fail. Not all businesses have the potential for outlier returns, which doesn't mean that these aren't good businesses, but that these aren't right for VCs. If your business is linear-growth or service-oriented, you may be better off bootstrapping or tapping alternative sources like family offices, angels, or government grants.

If you’re solving a real, hard problem with massive market potential, great VCs will wait for revenue. But don’t waste time pitching to investors who aren’t aligned with your sector or gestation cycle. Find your tribe.

7. Define Your Brand, or Be Defined by the Market

Global businesses aren’t just about great tech. They’re about trust. And trust comes from brand. Whether you’re in B2B or B2C, the startups that win globally are the ones that are remembered.

Brand can come from product excellence, from bold storytelling, or from being first. But it doesn’t happen by accident. Be deliberate. You’re not just building a solution. You’re building the reason someone thousands of miles away will choose you.

Having said that, startups often obsess over their first offering. But the most iconic global companies - Google, Apple, even Nestlé - aren’t tied to a single product. They’ve built brands so trusted, they can enter entirely new categories and still win. Whether you're in SaaS or space tech, think bigger than your first sale. Build a brand that gives you permission to grow.

Final Word: Build Like You Belong

Ankit ended the session with a powerful call: be ambitious. Be self-critical. And always ask - why should a global customer buy from me?

India has the talent, the drive, and the track record. What we need now are more founders who aren’t just building for Indian markets, but building with the confidence that they belong on the global stage. India is a great staging ground for the world's thorniest problems - if you can make self-driving work in India, it will work anywhere. Ditto agritech solutions. Ditto medtech and healthtech - if they can work in an environment as complex as ours, they can scale everywhere. Ditto climate tech, AI, deep tech and just about anything else. When you have a testing ground as varied as India, you start with an advantage.

The world is paying attention - not just to Indian talent, but to Indian ideas, Indian execution, and Indian ambition. The next wave of global giants won’t just emerge from Silicon Valley or Shenzhen. They’ll come from Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai and Tier 2 and 3 cities brimming with entrepreneurial fire. From Indian founders who know their worth - and build like they belong.

Moneycontrol journalists were not involved in the creation of the article.