Helsinki Business Hub and Bangalore-based business development consultancy PrEver Consulting have started a close collaboration to help Indian companies launch international operations in the Helsinki region. So far, the results have been excellent.
Fact #1: India is bursting with innovative and ambitious companies. They are developing excellent products and solutions and are eager to bring them to the global market.
Fact #2: The Helsinki region benefits greatly from international companies that decide to set up operations in the area. They create new jobs, bring new know-how, pay taxes and enliven the business scene.
“India is a dynamic and rapidly developing country with a very strong IT sector. There are great companies just waiting to bring their operations, investments, products and innovations on the international market, and Helsinki is a great place to start. But to identify them and to bring them here, we needed an Indian partner,” says Senior Business Advisor Sandeep Shah from Helsinki Business Hub.
This is where Indian business development consultancy PrEver steps in. A year ago, Helsinki Business Hub and PrEver decided to launch a new kind of collaboration. The founders of PrEver have wide international business experience and extensive global networks, but most importantly, they know the Indian market. They would find promising companies, mainly in India, but through their network, also in the Middle East, Singapore and the United States, and match these companies with the services of Helsinki Business Hub.
From India to Helsinki
“There are thousands of potentially life-changing ideas and products in India. With the right mix of capital, talent, sales strategies and marketing, many of them have the potential to become multi-billion euro conglomerates,” says CEO Mohan Krishna from PrEver.
After PrEver identifies potential Indian companies, Helsinki Business Hub invites them to visit Helsinki. These visits are usually arranged during major business events that bring together central Finnish business players and give the Indian companies a snapshot of the Helsinki business ecosystem as well as available support and opportunities.
Helsinki Business Hub then sets up meetings between the visiting companies and Finnish organizations, like the Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation Tekes, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Aalto University and the University of Helsinki, as well as with potential partners and clients. Helsinki Business Hub can also introduce relevant platforms to the foreign companies for testing and piloting their opportunities in the Helsinki region.
“The cooperation with PrEver has proven out to be a great way to get Indian high tech companies connected to the business opportunities in the Helsinki region,” says Marja-Liisa Niinikoski, the CEO of Helsinki Business Hub.
“The Helsinki region offers a great EU base for Indian companies. It has a strong innovation-led ecosystem and lots of niche talent in ICT, cleantech and healthcare industries. Its focus on research and development enables companies to refine their offerings to a world-class level, while its readily available piloting opportunities accelerate time to market. Furthermore, the unique integration of the Finnish business ecosystem and support agencies helps companies take their solutions to the global market,” says Director Stanny J D from PrEver.
From Helsinki to the international market
In less than a year, Helsinki Business Hub and PrEver have brought seven Indian companies to visit Helsinki, and four of them have already decided to set up operations here. They specialize in ICT, smart technology, cleantech and healthcare. For some of these companies, Helsinki is the first entry point to the international market. Easy access to the EU and US markets is one of Helsinki’s advantages.
“Helsinki Business Hub and PrEver collaborated with our California-based company, Rejuvalyte Inc., which specializes in nutritional supplements. They introduced us to the business ecosystems in Helsinki responsible for innovation, entrepreneurship and company set-up in the Nordic region. The support and expert guidance provided to us by the two partnering firms was exemplary as well as relevant to our business requirements. The introduction to the business cooperation environment in Helsinki was an eye-opener with several pleasant surprises. We are determined to take advantage of the excellent opportunities available in the Helsinki region to establish a base for our EU operations in Helsinki,” says CEO Farid Khan from Rejuvalyte USA.
The Rsmart Software Services Oy team from Mumbai, India in Helsinki with (from left) Muhaimin Saidu, PrEver; Rajan Chellappa, COO, Rsmart; Jose Valanta, Director of Business Development, City of Vantaa ; Vinay Nerli, CEO, Rsmart; Sandeep Shah, Senior Business Advisor, Helsinki Business Hub
Text: Anu Jussila
