REWORK INDIA
Monday 16th November 2009
9:30 am – 6:00 pm
India Habitat Center, Lodhi Road, New Delhi
The Rework India meeting on 16th November which gathered some hundred participants was also an opportunity to test methodologies designed to link entrepreneurs and projects to actual investors. In the latter half of the meeting participants were therefore divided into small working groups. Each group was given the task as a group to re-frame or develop an existing venture to improve its design and make it palatable to investors. The resulting proposals were presented to a panel consisting of representatives from both commercial banks and social investors who were asked to vote on their personal favourite and provide constructive comments. To encourage a more creative approach, only monopoly money was at stake this time around.
The ventures on display ranged form small recycling initiatives to new farming practices and national programmes for solar lighting. The energy released as the diverse groups dug into issues of alternative distributions strategies and funding approaches was unquestionable. The resulting presentations were generally convincing.
The meeting provided an excellent opportunity to refine the design for what is a highly complex process, where power imbalances and prejudices in language and expression must be countered by great sensitivity on part of investors and moderators, and where sensitive coaching is essential to bring out the best.
The lessons are being digested, and learnings adapted for the much more ambitious investment forum during the global Rework summit, June 2-5.