A significant measure of the level of entrepreneurial spirit in a country can be gained from the enthusiasm and zeal with which its early stage founders are solving real world problems. BITS Pilani is a university acclaimed for its booming startup culture and BITS alums at the helm of behemoths of the Indian startup ecosystem such as Swiggy, redBus, Groww, and Postman among others are a testament to the entrepreneurial energy of this institute. At the centre of this energy lies <a href="https://conquest.org.in/">Conquest</a>, a full-fledged startup accelerator inspired by the likes of Y Combinator and Sequoia’s surge. Run entirely by a driven group of 30 students from BITS Pilani motivated by the sole purpose of creating value for startups that come to <keyword id="2321288" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="conquest" source="Orion">Conquest</keyword>. Started in 2004, as a simple B-Plan competition, the ambition of the team behind Conquest continued to grow as they realised they have the potential to make a much deeper impact on the ecosystem- they pivoted first into an entrepreneurship conclave and finally into a startup accelerator in 2018. Just over the last five years Conquest alums have added significant value such as <a href="https://twitter.com/ConquestBITS/status/1478783724900663296?s=20&amp;t=hsxMvVYdhKfNAMBbRkGKkQ">ThinkerBell Labs</a> raising over Rs. 1.05 crores at Shark Tank India, Social Cops which was acclaimed by the Prime Minister in Mann Ki Baat, and Ippopay which was funded by Coinbase Ventures among others. <div type="image" title="Conquest" msid="90704080" hostid="261"></div> Even though the number of E-cells in the country has grown exponentially over the past decade, Conquest remains a unique endeavour with far reaching effects on the Indian ecosystem. The students involved inevitably end up becoming towering figures with the founders of GreyOrange - valued at over $500 Mn, Visit Health - an AI driven health diagnostic chatbot, and BiteSpeed - raised $1.9 Mn in seed funding having been a part of the accelerator at the beginning of their careers. This year’s Conquest Launch Event was an example of the ever growing scale of the program with stalwarts of Indian entrepreneurship sharing novel insights from their journeys. Ritesh Malik, the founder of Innov8 was the keynote speaker this year and spoke about the mental models that early stage teams should follow to maximise their chances of success. Being a flagbearer of innovation himself, he placed special emphasis on the power of compounding and making your product 1% better everyday. Describing his ideal founder he said, “Best founders create opportunities from their own problems. Change is the highest ROI business.” <div type="image" title="Conquest launch" msid="90704110" hostid="261"></div> Deepak Ramineedhi from Westbridge Capital as the Guest of Honour explained how with one of the largest consumer internet bases in the world, India is probably one of the best places to startup stating- “This is probably a once in a lifetime opportunity for young people to startup. If you want to start a business you will not find a better geography or time to start tech enabled businesses across sectors.” With a dynamic team, Conquest aims to continuously reinvent itself to adapt to the ever evolving ecosystem. With its fast expanding community of crypto enthusiasts, Conquest believes that India is poised to be at the centre of the technological revolution this time around. With the vision to fuel this revolution, Conquest has conceptualised a web3 track which will be a program exclusively for startups in the crypto metaverse and DeFi space. Since this is the inaugural edition for this track, Conquest hosted a <a href="https://twitter.com/ConquestBITS/status/1510469452621824001?s=20&amp;t=hsxMvVYdhKfNAMBbRkGKkQ">panel discussion</a> where thought leaders in these domains including the likes of Sandeep Nailwal, the Co-founder of Polygon, Akshay BD from Tanmay Bhat’s SuperteamDAO, Tanay Pratap, Co-founder and CTO of Invact Metaversity and <keyword id="13566661" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="vijay-kalangi" source="Orion">Vijay Kalangi</keyword>, the Co-founder of SolRazr got together to have an in depth conversation about bringing web3 to the next billion users. Akshay BD drew parallels about the hype surrounding crypto and web3 with that of social media in the last decade highlighting how even now it is a highly underrated phenomenon since it played a part in electing an American President. Sandeep in particular was highly optimistic about web3 stating “My advice would be with folded hands that even if you don’t understand web3 right now, do not miss this revolution. You might think many of these things are a scam and some of these things are but this is going to be a big part of your life for many years to come. Just keep learning. Keep learning and you’ll have your aha moment”. <div type="image" title="Conquest launch" msid="90704153" hostid="261"></div> Being an accelerator, Conquest understands the high octane nature of the startup world and how this continuously reshapes its role. To <a href="https://twitter.com/ConquestBITS/status/1510329556510867456?s=20&amp;t=hsxMvVYdhKfNAMBbRkGKkQ">discuss</a> how the accelerator model has been refined over the years and how it continues to be one of the most important programs for early stage ventures, Conquest hosted Arnav Sahu from Y Combinator, Rahul Seth from Antler India and Chintan Bakshi from CIIE. The ideas shared gave a layered understanding of the minds behind these programs. The ambitions of the Indian startup ecosystem grew so expeditiously that a huge gap of knowledge and capital was created between founders with great ideas and industry leaders with decades of experience and knowledge. Conquest aims to bridge this gap by bringing some of the most promising founders of this generation in close contact with investors, mentors and experts. Among the 3000+ registered startups, the top 100 startups are selected after careful consideration by a jury of industry experts. They are then provided with startup tool kit that includes valuable resources like SaaS product memberships which help them to further groom and scale themselves. The top 30 startups then get one-on-one mentoring sessions where they gather insights from some of the accomplished names from different walks of the startup ecosystem. These include the likes of Mahesh <keyword id="13566662" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="vandi-chalil" source="Orion">Vandi Chalil</keyword> (Head of Technology, BookMyShow), Arjun Nohwar (Country GM, HBO Max), Anirvan Chowdhury (Investments, Blume Ventures), <keyword id="13566663" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="zeenal-patel" source="Orion">Zeenal Patel</keyword> (AVP &amp; Product Design, AJIO.com). Funneling down further, Conquest provides the top 15 most promising startups with an exhaustive 6-week long online mentorship. Alongside the sector and vertical specific mentorship, we also host competitive pitching sessions and organize AMAs and fireside chats with some of the most prominent names in the industry like <a href="https://twitter.com/ConquestBITS/status/1410218767758462980?s=20&amp;t=hsxMvVYdhKfNAMBbRkGKkQ">Ankur Warikoo from Nearbuy</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/ConquestBITS/status/1416404422897242114?s=20&amp;t=hsxMvVYdhKfNAMBbRkGKkQ">Awais Ahmed from Pixxel</a>. <div type="image" title="Conquest launch" msid="90704180" hostid="261"></div> In the Grand Finale, the top 10 startups from these 15 undergo an all-expenses-paid 10-day accelerator program in the country’s tech capital, Bengaluru, where they receive direct mentorship and attend sessions on vital topics like networking and fundraising. The six weeks of Conquest finally culminate with the Demo Day which is similar to what Shark Tank India made popular through our television sets. It is indeed astonishing to know that Conquest has been hosting this Demo Day where founders pitch their startups to reputed angel investors and a jury for the last five years, long before Shark Tank India came into existence! The Demo Day comprises keynote speeches and panel discussions with big names like <a href="https://twitter.com/ConquestBITS/status/1421127675284914180?s=20&amp;t=hsxMvVYdhKfNAMBbRkGKkQ">Shradha Sharma</a>, Sanjay Nath, and <keyword id="295255" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="sanjeev-bikhchandani" source="Orion">Sanjeev Bikhchandani</keyword> just to name a few. The winner of Conquest is then granted an equity-less cash prize. Over the last 2 years even in a Covid impacted capital market, Conquest disbursed over 60 lacs to winning startups. Registrations for the 18th edition of Conquest have now kicked off. To register click <a href="https://form.jotform.com/220931435484456">here</a>. <div type="image" title="Conquest launch" msid="90704225" hostid="261"></div> Disclaimer: Business Insider is the Exclusive Insights Partner to the event

India's largest student-run startup accelerator: Conquest, BITS Pilani launches its 18th edition. Registrations open.

Mumbai, May 22 () Bankers on Friday said the 40 basis points reduction in repo rate by the Reserve Bank of India will give a big support to the sagging economy. The RBI on Friday reduced the repo rate by 40 basis points to 4 per cent, the lowest since it came into being in 2000. The central bank also announced a slew of measures, including extension of moratorium on loan repayments by another three months and increasing bank exposure to corporates to 30 per cent of the group's net worth from the current limit of 25 per cent. "The RBI policy announcement in response to the fallout of COVID-19 pandemic is timely. The reduction in policy rate by 40 bps under the assumption that growth in FY21 will be negative is an appropriate move to support economic activity," State Bank of India (SBI) Chairman Rajnish Kumar said. RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said given the uncertainties, GDP growth in 2020-21 is estimated to remain in the negative territory, with some pick-up from the second half of the current fiscal. "The RBI continued with its extraordinary commitment in its fight against COVID-19. The latest round of rate cuts, moratorium extension, deferment of interest on working capital facilities and relaxation in asset classification will provide the requisite balm to the economy," Standard Chartered Bank India CEO Zarin Daruwala said. RBI extended the three-month moratorium on loan repayments from June 1 to August 31, 2020. "It was a good decision. There was a requirement of extension of moratorium since the lockdown has not been lifted 100 per cent," Central Bank of India Managing Director and CEO Pallav Mohapatra said. RBI permitted to convert the accumulated interest on working capital facilities over the deferment period up to August 31 into a funded interest term loan which will be repayable not later than the end of the current financial year. "Conversion of interest on working capital loans for the moratorium period into funded interest term loan (FITL) will give a breather to the borrowers," Indian Bank's Managing Director and CEO Padmaja Chunduru said. The time period for repayment of that component could have been longer than just seven months, she added. According to Bank of Baroda's Chief Economist Sameer Narang, RBI has room for another 25 basis points reduction in policy rate as GDP is likely to contract by 4.7 per cent in FY21 with CPI inflation at 3.5 per cent. Yes Bank's Senior Economist Vivek Kumar said there could be further support from RBI in the form of another 50 basis points cut in the repo rate amid widening of negative output gap and assertion of disinflationary pressures. "We also expect RBI to come up with a large scale bond purchase program (via OMOs) covering both g-secs and SDLs to lower elevated term premium and credit spreads in the economy," he said. Harsh Shrivastava, chief executive officer of Microfinance Institutions Network, said, "MFIN and its members will be happy to extend moratorium to those customers who need it the most while welcoming clients who are able to pay if they have cash flow." Religare Finvest President and Head (Corporate Planning and Strategy) Pankaj Sharma said extension of loan moratorium and permission to convert accrued interest on the moratorium into a funded interest term loan to be paid during the tenure of the loan will ease the pressure on the lending entities, especially NBFCs. "The group exposure limit enhancement for banks will help channelize the credit flow to the NBFC sector. The 3 month extension of the moratorium relief was expected due to the extended lockdown of COVID-19," Tata Capital Managing Director and CEO Rajiv Sabharwal said. Clix Capital CEO Bhavesh Gupta said for banks and NBFCs, moratorium may lead to an increase in NPAs in the long term and it would have been better had RBI also announced directions on one-time restructuring of loans and other support measures. HV ABM ABM

RBI's rate cut to support economy, say bankers

<img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5e447d2c2dae5c2e0105107b-2400/gettyimages-953638426.jpg" alt="American Airlines Alaska Airlines plane" /><ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/american-airlines">American Airlines</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/alaska-airlines">Alaska Airlines</a> are expanding a partnership agreement, creating a "West Coast international alliance."</li><li>The airlines will expand a codeshare agreement to allow Alaska passengers to connect onto American Airlines international flights from West Coast gateways, and the airlines will expand reciprocal frequent flyer benefits.</li><li>Alaska will also apply to join the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/oneworld">Oneworld</a> airline alliance.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>American Airlines and Alaska Airlines said on Thursday they plan to launch a new partnership, expanding an older arrangement with a new integrated agreement that the airlines are calling a "West Coast international alliance."Alaska also plans to join the Oneworld airline alliance. American is a founding member.American and Alaska already operate a codeshare agreement, which allows Alaska passengers to book an itinerary that includes flights operated by American, and vice versa. The agreement only covers certain flights under specific conditions.Under the new agreement, the codeshare will be expanded significantly and will initially include American Airlines long-haul international flights from Seattle and Los Angeles. Additionally, members of both airlines' frequent flyer programs will be able to earn and use miles on all flights operated by the other airline - an expansion of a current agreement.The codeshare is intended to expand access to international destinations flown by American, so that passengers in Alaska's market can connect to American Airlines long-haul flights, particularly at the Seattle-Tacoma Airport and Los Angeles International Airport.In effect, the arrangement allows American to operate Seattle as an international hub, or gateway, without building up more of a domestic feeder network to the airport. As Delta <a href="https://www.seattlebusinessmag.com/alaska-and-delta-competition-drives-growth-sea-tac">increases its presence at the airport</a>, the partnership with Alaska gives American a new leg up."This is a broad West Coast international partnership," Vasu Raja, American Airlines' senior vice president of network strategy, told Business Insider. "With this we'll be able to grow in Seattle and also in Los Angeles."The move can also help American grow its passenger base at Los Angeles, offering a connecting network from the Northwest through Alaska."The codeshare will broadly take a few forms," Raja said. "One will be Alaska codesharing on American Airlines flights beyond our hub - for example they fly from the West Coast to Chicago and we fly beyond Chicago. The second will be Alaska codesharing on our long-haul services from Los Angeles and Seattle. "The third form is American Airlines putting its code on Alaska Airlines for markets such as Austin to Seattle - Austin is a city where we have a huge presence," he added, while "the fourth is something like Alaska adding its code on a flight like Redmond, Washington, to Phoenix, where we can attract those customers near Redmond to connect in Phoenix."Raja said that the expanded partnership would be introduced in phases."Just so we can be sure that the customer experience is as seamless and positive as possible. But we're keen to expand this thing, because the partnership of American and Alaska is something which is a huge benefit for all of our customers, and really enables the growth of both of us internationally and on the West Coast."Additionally, American announced two new international routes from Seattle: Service to Bangalore, India, starting in October, and to London Heathrow starting in March 2021."Bangalore is the most requested market among all of our corporate clients on the West Coast, and in Austin, Raleigh, and Dallas-Fort Worth. It's one of the biggest business travel markets," Raja said. Flying from Seattle will allow the airline to use a Boeing 787-9 with a full passenger contingent, making the flight commercially viable despite the long distance, he added. The distance between Seattle and Bangalore is nearly 8,100 miles.Numerous tech and IT companies have offices in Bangalore, <a href="https://www.nestaway.com/info/top-30-it-companies-in-bangalore/">including</a> Twitter, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/28/technology/ibm-india.html">IBM</a>, Amazon, Cisco, Deloitte, Dell, and Accenture, leading to a robust demand for travel to the southern Indian city, which is also known as Bengaluru."In Seattle, we'll be able to go and really pioneer markets that wouldn't be physically in the range of any of our other places or hubs, places like Bangalore and other markets in India, Asia, and maybe even further afield than that."The codeshare will begin pending approval from the US Department of Transportation, a spokesperson for the airline said.

American Airlines and Alaska just announced a new partnership, which will create new travel options for just about anyone on the West Coast

<ul><li>2000 investor meetings held in one day; over 100 investors join mega ‘funding festival’ </li><li>Nancy Bhasin of This for That declared Grand Prize winner of coveted Elevator Pitch contest </li></ul>The fourth edition of <keyword id="71561" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lufthansa">Lufthansa</keyword> Start-up Expo, India’s largest ecosystem of start-up success, drew a power-packed gathering of 100 top investors, 500 experts, mentors and industry stalwarts, and thousands of young <keyword id="53533" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="entrepreneurs">entrepreneurs</keyword> among 15,000 plus participants. Powered by Lufthansa and TiE Delhi-NCR, the Expo focused sharply on funding this year and facilitated over 2000 investor meetings at the one day event. It also held expert sessions that helped entrepreneurs gain a deeper understanding of the fundraising process in addition to invaluable mentoring, partnership, business networking, and knowledge-sharing opportunities. The Expo, witnessed widespread participation and support of key government institutions, including the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), StartupIndia as well as start-up programs of the State governments of Odisha, Haryana and Jharkhand. Among the highlights of Lufthansa Start-up Expo 4 was the Grand Finale of the Elevator Pitch Contest, which saw Nancy Bhasin of This for That unanimously selected as the winner of an unprecedented Grand Prize, including direct access to investors at the offices of Indian Angel Network, a dedicated mentor for six months, a seat on the Cambridge Ignite global entrepreneurship program, a Lufthansa Business Class Ticket to Europe and complimentary membership of TiE Delhi-NCR. The day also featured addresses by prominent industry leaders including Alain Chisari (Vice President Sales Asia &amp; Pacific – Lufthansa Group Airlines), Rajan Anandan (President TiE Delhi-NCR) and Geetika Dayal (Executive Director – TiE Delhi-NCR) among others, highlighting the significance of collaborative ecosystems like the Start-up Expo. Speaking on the occasion, George Ettiyil, Senior Director Sales South Asia – Lufthansa Group Airlines, said, “As the 3rd largest start-up ecosystem in the world, start-ups are a key driving force of business in India. Our commitment to enabling their success by bringing together the collaborative power of new India is an extension of our long-standing partnership with Indian business. As a global brand, we understand how important nurturing this spirit of entrepreneurship is to the long-term growth of the business ecosystem.” This year, Lufthansa Start-up Expo brought together over 500 mentors, over 100 partners and 100 investors. The event was also attended by 375 start-up exhibitors. Geetika Dayal, Executive Director – TiE Delhi-NCR, said, ““Start-up Expo is a unique growth opportunity for Indian ventures. It is the fulfilment of TiE’s mission of fostering and nurturing the startup ecosystem. Its impact and scope are unparalleled. Nowhere else do so many industry stakeholders interact with high-potential start-ups in a captive and focused environment.”

15,000 entrepreneurs, 2000 investor meetings: Here’s what went down at the Startup Expo 4

The Delhi chapter of <keyword id="139680" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="The-Indus-Entrepreneurs">The Indus Entrepreneurs</keyword> (TiE) will host on Thursday the 8th iteration of the <keyword id="4390638" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="India-Internet-Day">India Internet Day</keyword>, one of the largest conferences for Internet entrepreneurs in the country. India Internet Day 2019 targets entrepreneurs which attracts start-ups, unicorns, industry leaders, investors, mentors, policy-makers, and many more key domain experts from across the country every year India is presently home to over 500 million internet users and 21 unicorns. With the aim of raising a hundred start-ups and enterprises to become billion-dollar companies on the back of their internet-centric innovations, TiE Delhi-NCR is hosting the 8th iteration of India Internet Day. The vision of #iDay2019 is encapsulated in the headline of the event’s main theme: “India Internet Unboxed: Getting ready for a 100 Unicorns”. Enabling the next generation of leaders At iDay 2019, leaders of the internet and entrepreneurial community will deliver content for the benefit of young entrepreneurs, enabling the next generation of leaders to gain a deeper insight into the opportunities and evolving trends in the industry, Tie said in a statement. Building on the theme of ‘unboxing’, iDay2019 plans to have focused and thought-provoking discussions during the session line-up on topics including: Unboxing Indian Tech Going Global, Unboxing Funding, Unboxing Talent, Entrepreneurial Milestones: Unboxing Pivots &amp; Pirouettes to Exits, Unboxing 2nd Innings, Unboxing Valuations. It will also have a special focus on the Chinese startup ecosystem, key speakers will speak on Unboxing China, its Landscape &amp; Overview, Chinese VCs in India - A perspective and Cross Border Learnings. Additionally, entrepreneurs will be provided with a platform to showcase internet-centric innovations and get constructive feedback on their ventures. All about networking The conference is one of the most anticipated entrepreneurial conferences across the world as it gathers entrepreneurs and vision-holders in the midst of key investors, industry leaders, and policy-makers under the same roof. It will have sessions that will chaired by prominent industry leaders including Vani Kola, MD, Kalaari Capital, and Rajesh Sawhney, CEO &amp; Co Founder of Innerchef, the conference will open with a keynote address by Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Founder &amp; CEO of PayTM. The opening address will be followed by conversations with industry experts including Anant Maheshwari, President - Microsoft India and Rajan Anandan, Vice President, Google &amp; President, TiE Delhi-NCR. Other ace speakers include Lathika Pai, Country Head - Microsoft for <keyword id="6362513" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="startups">Startups</keyword> MENA and SAARC , Gaurav Deepak, Co-founder &amp; MD - Avendus Capital, Anand Lunia, General Partner – India Quotient, Helen Wong, Partner at Qiming Venture, Yun Lou, Founder &amp; CEO of Clubfactory, Hans Tung - Partner, GGVC Kunal Shah, Founder &amp; CEO – Cred, Amrish Rau, Ex CEO – CitrusPay, Aprameya Radhakrishna, Founder &amp; CEO of Vokal, Raul Rai, Co-Founder of Nicobar.com, and Mukund Kulashekaran from Urban Clap. Power Breakfast with the iDay Committee The event will kick off with a breakfast with industry leaders and the best in the startup ecosystem. The committee members who will be a part of this event include Rajan Anandan, Vice President, Google &amp; President, TiE Delhi-NCR; Alok Mittal, Co-Founder, Indifi Technologies; Amarjit Singh Batra, Managing Director, Spotify India; Arvind Jha, Multipreneur, Movico Technologies; Miten Sampat, VP, Times Internet; Deep Kalra, Founder &amp; Group CEO, MakeMyTrip; Gautam Gandhi, Angel Investor; Prasanto K Roy, Policy Consultant ; Karan Mohla, Partner &amp; Executive Director of Chiratae Ventures; Ravi Gururaj, Founder &amp; CEO, Qikpod; Dev Khare, Partner, Lightspeed India Partners. B2B Founders' Lunch Ace B2B founders who will be part of this session include Shridhar Gupta, Co-Founder - Loconav; Pranav Tyagi, Founder - Eigen; Ajay Chauhan, Co- Founder -SalezShark; Sachin Bhatia, Co-Founder &amp; Ex VP - Drishtisoft solutions; Rahul Bhalla, CEO &amp; Co Founder -Zeanatix will be part of the lunch tables Fintech Lunch Leading Fintech founders who will be part of the lunch include Ajay Vikram Singh, Consumer Business Head- Clix Capital ; Jonathan Bill, CEO &amp; Co- Founder – Creditmate; Kshitij Puri, CEO &amp; Co- Founder - Ziploan ;Sandeep Srinivas, Co-Founder &amp; CMO - Redcarpet Tech ; Kapil Mehta, Co - Founder – SecureNow; Alok Bansal, Co-Founder &amp; CFO – PolicyBazaar ; Mukesh P Kalra, Founder &amp; CEO – ETMoney #iDay Launchpad A platform at India Internet Day where tech businesses have a chance to demo/launch their new products/services in front of a large relevant audience of VCs, entrepreneurs etc. The start-ups will be selected by an influential jury panel #iDay Workshop A stellar workshop on product management professionals with Anshumani Ruddra, VP of Product (Social &amp; Gaming) – Hotstar will equip participants with new strategies &amp; principles to ace their field Gala Evening Network, interact, explore synergies over dinner and jive the evening away with a rocking band performance! The conference will take place from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm on 25th April, 2019, at Leela Ambience, Gurugram. Register here now! <a href="https://www.iday.in/">https://www.iday.in/</a> Note: Business Insider India is a media partner at the event.

Here’s all that you need to know about the upcoming India Internet Day 2019

<img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5dd42db83afd377d6d028998-2400/gettyimages-1185135303.jpg" alt="Elizabeth Warren" />Scott Olson/Getty ImagesElizabeth Warren speaks at a campaign rally.<ul class="summary-list"><li>A new letter signed by over 200 citizens of the Cherokee Nation and other Native Americans called on Elizabeth Warren to denounce her family's claim that they have Native American ancestry.</li><li>They also said Warren's claims muddled people's understanding about how tribal citizenship actually works.</li><li>Warren has been dogged by claims for years that she falsely claimed Native American ancestry. Before launching her 2020 campaign, she took a DNA test meant to prove her family's claim of Cherokee and Delaware ancestry.</li><li>The test sparked backlash from many Native Americans, and Warren has repeatedly apologized and held meetings with tribal leaders to make up for the blunder.</li><li>In a response to the letter, Warren stated that "I am a white woman" and "I was wrong to have identified as Native American... I apologize for the harm I have caused."</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>More than 200 Cherokees and other Native Americans <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6786095-Open-Letter-to-Senator-Warren-From-Cherokee.html">signed a letter</a> condemning Senator Elizabeth Warren's past claims about her heritage as "dangerous," and demanded she renounce her family's claim to Cherokee and Delaware ancestry.The letter, organized by Cherokee Nation citizens Joseph M. Pierce, Daniel Heath Justice, Rebecca Nagle and Twila Barnes, says Warren's actions "have normalized white people claiming to be native, and perpetuated a dangerous misunderstanding of tribal sovereignty."It was signed by 143 members of the Cherokee Nation, United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians, and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. More than 70 members of other tribes also signed.The letter comes as Warren's campaign enters a critical stretch ahead of Super Tuesday as she seeks the Democratic nomination for president.Warren has not won any of the early states, and the letter breathes new life into an issue that <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/06/us/politics/elizabeth-warren-dna-test-2020.html">nearly halted her campaign before it even began</a> and created a liability that Warren has worked for months to overcome.Criticisms that Warren inaccurately claimed Native American ancestry have existed <a href="https://www.bostonherald.com/2012/04/27/harvard-trips-on-roots-of-elizabeth-warrens-family-tree/">since at least 2012</a>. President Donald Trump has ridiculed Warren with the nickname "Pocahontas".Ahead of her 2020 campaign launch, Warren took a much-criticized DNA test to prove a family story that she had Native American ancestry and stymie Trump's attacks. After an ensuing uproar, and criticism from some Native Americans, Warren contacted the Cherokee Nation to apologize, <a href="https://theintercept.com/2019/01/31/elizabeth-warren-2020-campaign-announcement/">the Intercept reported.</a> The new letter had been in the works for about three months, Pierce told Insider. He insisted that the timing was not politically motivated, but acknowledged that "the context of her seeking the Democratic nomination presents us with an opportunity to try to pressure her."The letter states that "while the average American thinks of Native Americans as a racial category, we are actually a political group. Our rights are based on citizenship in sovereign Nations and those Nations' treaty relationship to the United States."Individuals who wish to join the Cherokee Nation must complete a rigorous application process and prove that they are related to a person listed on the <a href="https://www.cherokee.org/all-services/tribal-registration/">Dawes Rolls</a>, a registry compiled from 1898 to 1914 of people who were accepted for citizenship with the Cherokees, Creeks, Choctaws, Chickasaws, and Seminole tribes.DNA tests, such as the one Warren took in 2018, are not considered a marker of indigenous identity or citizenship, said Pierce.Warren's claim that DNA evidence supported her family's claim to Native American heritage created a dangerous public misconception about Native American identity, according to Pierce and the letter's authors.As an example, the authors cited a <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-01-02/native-americans-essential-california-newsletter">Los Angeles Times investigation</a> that found hundreds of millions of dollars in federal grants meant for minorities had been given to companies whose members <a href="https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-na-cherokee-minority-contracts-20190626-story.html">made unsubstantiated claims of Native American ancestry</a>.The signatories make several demands of Warren, including that she publicly:<ul><li>Say that Native people "are the sole authority on who is - and who is not - Native,"</li><li>Say that her family's claim to Cherokee and Delaware ancestry is false and that she does not qualify for tribal citizenship,</li><li>Better explain to the public why her claim to Native American ancestry was "dangerous."</li></ul>On Tuesday, Warren responded to the the Cherokee Nation authors with <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6786094-Reply-Letter-From-Elizabeth-Warren.html">a 12-page letter</a> that repeatedly acknowledged her failures and pointed to her work as senator and presidential candidate on behalf of Native Americans.Warren wrote: "I am not a person of color; I am a white woman, and that is how I identify. In addition, I am not a tribal citizen. Tribal Nations - and only Tribal Nations - determine Tribal citizenship.""I was wrong to have identified as Native American, and, without qualification or excuse, I apologize for the harm I have caused," she wrote."Regardless of whether you forgive me - and again, that is up to you and you alone - I will continue to try my hardest to be the best champion for Indian Country I can be."Since the DNA test, Warren has spent significant time trying to demonstrate her commitment to tribal issues.In August, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/10/10/how-cnn-lgbtq-town-hall-other-forums-force-democrats-up-their-game/">she appeared</a> at the Frank LaMere Native American Presidential Forum in Iowa, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/video/2019/aug/19/i-am-sorry-for-harm-elizabeth-warren-native-american-forum-video">where she told participants</a>, "I am sorry for the harm I have caused. I have listened, and I have learned a lot, and I am grateful for the many conversations that we've had together."Warren, along with Senator Jeff Merkely of Oregon, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2019/11/27/soldiers-got-medals-honor-massacring-native-americans-this-bill-would-take-them-away/">also introduced legislation</a> last year to revoke the Medals of Honor awarded to soldiers who massacred Native Americans at Wounded Knee.Warren's response letter also outlines other policy proposals she believes would benefit Native Americans.But Pierce said that Warren did not address one of his letter's core requests: that she state that her family's stories and claims to Native American ancestry were false."It's not so much about asking her to apologize or not apologize," Pierce told Insider."She's already done that, that's fine. We're asking for her to fix what she has broken and to clarify what she has so thoroughly muddled." <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/presidential-debate-entertaining-problem-democratic-trump-reality-tv-show-2019-9">How networks treat the Democratic debates like reality TV</a></h3> <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/UKopX7aS-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;"></iframe>

More than 200 Cherokee and other Native Americans call on Elizabeth Warren to renounce her family claim to Native ancestry in the wake of her disastrous DNA test

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<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5255a63becad048123e7e54f-1332/screen shot 2013-10-09 at 25313 pm.png" alt="Gloria Steinem" data-mce-source="Chip Somodevilla/Getty" />Chip Somodevilla/GettyGloria Steinem.</div></div></div>On January 21, the day after Donald Trump's inauguration, an estimated 200,000 demonstrators will <a href="https://www.womensmarch.com/">march in Washington DC</a> to protest the new administration and push for gender equality.Organizers have <a href="https://www.womensmarch.com/speakers/">announced</a> a long list of speakers and musical performers for the rally, which will start at 10 am and is expected to last three hours. The march will begin at the intersection of 3rd Street and Independence Avenue Southwest, near the National Museum of the American Indian.The vibe of the march will stand in stark contrast to that of today's inaugural ceremonies, which inauguration planner Tom Barrack <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/katherinemiller/trumps-inauguration-will-have-a-soft-sensuality-poetic-caden?utm_term=.nl54WWXOQV#.etn3ZZKzPQ">said</a> will have a "soft sensuality." The planners reportedly had a tough time lining up musical acts, since many <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/artists-who-turned-down-trump-inauguration-2017-1">turned down offers to play</a>, but Toby Keith and 3 Doors Down are scheduled to perform.<h2>Here's the official list of speakers for the Women's March:</h2>Cecile Richards, <a href="https://www.plannedparenthood.org/">Planned Parenthood Federation of America's</a> presidentSophie Cruz, the 5-year-old who <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/local/wp/2015/09/23/meet-the-5-year-old-who-gave-the-pope-a-letter-because-she-doesnt-want-her-parents-deported/?utm_term=.7acd9ac701fd">gave Pope Francis a letter</a> because she didn't want her parents deportedJanet Mock, author, LGBTQ activist, and TV hostAmerica Ferrera, actressAngela Davis, civil rights activist and feminist scholarGloria Steinem, feminist activist and authorAshley Judd, actress and activistScarlett Johansson, actressMelissa Harris-Perry, writer and TV hostRandi Weingarten, <a href="http://www.aft.org/">American Federation of Teachers'</a> presidentVan Jones, political commentator and authorMichael Moore, documentary filmmakerRhea Suh, <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/">Natural Resources Defense Council's </a>presidentMuriel Bowser, Washington, DC's mayorAi-jen Poo, <a href="https://www.domesticworkers.org/">National Domestic Workers Alliance's</a> directorErika Andiola, immigration activist and former Bernie Sanders campaign workerIlyasah Shabazz, activist and daughter of Malcolm X and Betty ShabazzBob Alotta, <a href="http://www.astraeafoundation.org/">Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice's</a> executive directorLaDonna Harris, Americans for Indian Opportunity's presidentMaryum Ali, gang prevention activist and daughter of Muhammad AliMelanie Campbell, <a href="http://www.ncbcp.org/">National Coalition on Black Civic Participation's</a> presidentRabbi Sharon Brous, founder of the <a href="https://www.ikar-la.org/">IKAR Jewish community</a> in Los AngelesSister Simone Campbell, executive director of <a href="https://networklobby.org/">NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice</a>Zahra Billoo, executive director of the San Francisco chapter of the <a href="https://www.cair.com/">Council on American-Islamic Relations</a>Amanda Nguyen, <a href="http://www.riseslo.org/for_sexual_assault_abuse_survivors.php">RISE's</a> president and advocate for sexual-assault survivors' rightsGeorge Gresham, labor organizerSybrina Fulton, Lucia McBath, Maria Hamilton, and Gwen Carr, four of the <a href="https://mic.com/articles/149802/here-s-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-mothers-of-the-movement">Mothers of the Movement</a>Hina Naveed, co-director of the <a href="http://drmactioncoalition.org/">DRM Action Coalition</a> and immigration activistJudith Le Blanc, <a href="http://www.nativeorganizing.org/">Native Organizers Alliance's</a> directorKristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, <a href="https://www.momsrising.org/">MomsRising's</a> executive directorAída Hurtado, intersectional feminist scholar and authorMelissa Mays, clean-water activist in Flint, MichiganRaquel Willis, communications associate at the Transgender Law CenterRoslyn Brock, chair of the NAACP's national board of directorsSister Ieasha Prime, Islamic scholar and activistWendy Carrillo, Standing Rock activist and congressional candidate from CaliforniaDr. Cynthia Hale, pastorTamika Mallory, Carmen Perez, Linda Sarsour, and Bob Bland, Women's March co-chairs<h2>The following musical artists will also perform:</h2>Janelle MonáeMaxwellIndigo GirlsMary Chapin CarpenterToshi ReagonSamantha RonsonDJ RekhaMC LyteAngelique KidjoEmily WellsSt. BeautyBeverly BondAlia ShariefDJ RimarkableAmber CoffmanClimbing PoeTree <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/watch-obamas-welcome-trumps-white-house-2017-1">Watch the Obamas officially welcome the Trumps into the White House</a></h3> <div> <div> <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="cyNGYyOTE69zUTDDZuIqj-gMxbgjOx_c" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> <script> if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; } RunFunctions.push(function() { var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'cyNGYyOTE69zUTDDZuIqj-gMxbgjOx_c',{ autoplay: 'false' }); }); </script> <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div> </div> <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script> </div>

Scarlett Johansson, Gloria Steinem, and others will speak at the Women's March on Washington - here's the full list

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/53636458.cms" style="width: 800px; height: 600px;" />One of the biggest <keyword id="6357097" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="venture-capital">Venture Capital</keyword> Firms <keyword id="720079" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="IvyCap-Ventures">IvyCap Ventures</keyword>, through a new wing called <keyword id="3119261" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="IvyCamp">IvyCamp</keyword>, is trying to engage with IITs, IIMs, BITs and ISB as well as industry experts at multiple levels to foster a startup ecosystem in India. 
 
It is connecting alumni across educational institutions to build a network of mentors, investors, and experts, but at the same time also making connections to ensure the guidance and money are pouring into the right startups and innovations arising out of the campuses. For this, the company has been going to Indian B-schools for the past few years now, trying to make relationships with incubators here and helping startups or innovations (from colleges as well as outside) find the right match and resources. 
 
So basically, the potential ideas or entrepreneurs are linked to IvyCamp's startups/investors/mentors network or corporations so that innovations from campuses are more visible, they can be commercialized and startups can leap onto the next level. 
 While on a tour to <keyword id="60501" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="IIM-Bangalore">IIM Bangalore</keyword>, we interviewed the Vice President of IvyCamp who is driving this objective in India and globally: 
 
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dhdldk5jq30" width="560"></iframe> 
 
Here are some more insights from the interview on IvyCamp's work so far: 
 
Holding Events On Campus 
 
Adhiraj Banerjee told Business Insider - "We are doing continuous events at IITs and IIMs and now we are headed to couple of other institutions as well. The idea here is to give the right direction to early stage entrepreneurs who need lot of mentoring in basic areas like how to build your B-plan, how to do your valuation and a sounding board for them." 
 
Setting up incubators 
 
As a part of their objective to help young innovators and entrepreneurs, IvyCamp is conducting education programmes with colleges and also setting up its own incubators. 
 
"Just in the last two weeks, we have signed 14 incubators. We are setting incubators in Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka and the idea is to not restrict the ecosystem to just the campuses. That means we will be doing the exact same things we are doing in colleges outside as well like pitch events, mentor events, education programmes etc," said Adhiraj. 
 
Tie-up with <keyword id="3558756" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="nasscom-10k-startups-programme">Nasscom 10k Startups Programme</keyword> 
 
IvyCamp felt the success of IoT startups coming out of India needed a consolidated boost. Adhiraj said – “This tie-up was therefore done to evangelize IoT and to help startups in this space in India get access to manufacturing units, connect with the industry who may use their applications and also connect them to the foreign governments.” 
 
Efforts to bring angel investors onboard 
 
Another way IvyCamp is trying to help startups is by roping in angel investors along with IvyCap Ventures investing in IvyCamp startups. 
“Sometimes we find startups during events or through our outreach programmes which we can be invested in. We have invested in two such startups recently and we are looking to increase that by bringing higher number of investors on the platform.” 
 
It seems like B-school students who wish to become entrepreneurs now have a big reason to smile!

VC Firm IvyCap is going into IITs, IIMs and ISB to fund startups.
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<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/51879535.cms" style="width: 800px; height: 600px;" /> 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/This-is-why-it-is-the-best-time-to-become-a-full-time-gamer/articleshow/51793204.cms">Startups enter a new genre of competition</a> by going against each other in a one-on-one pitch battle inside a boxing ring as a part of the Indian chapter of a global startup competition, 'Get in the Ring' hosted by National Association of Software and Services Companies (<keyword id="6372077" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Nasscom">NASSCOM</keyword>). After sweating it out in an enthralling performance in the ring, Nukkadshops has qualified to represent India at the Finals of the Get In the Ring; a unique startup pitching model mimicking a boxing match which assesses the potential of a startup in quick five 30-second back to back duels between two competitors standing in a ring. 

	Vivek Shukla, Founder at Nukkadshops commented, “We are very excited to win GITR, it was an amazing experience for us. Winning GITR will help Nukkad Shops in generating more exposure at a global platform towards the good work we have been doing for local retailer community. We are thankful to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Heres-all-you-need-to-know-about-Nasscoms-10K-startups-programme/articleshow/51714462.cms">Nasscom 10000 startups</a> for providing us this platform.”
 

	To capitalize on the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Key-success-factors-of-women-entrepreneurs-in-Indian-startups/articleshow/51810163.cms">local talent </a>and expand the outreach of these <keyword id="6362513" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Startups">startups</keyword>, NASSCOM 10k provided an opportunity to start-ups to participate in a pitch battle where two start-ups were pitted against each other. During the investment battle, two startups pitched at the same time in a five round verbal sparring in front of a full-house audience. During five brief rounds they presented their startup to a jury of champion investors, and an audience of potential investors and fans, in a competition that will result in a potential investment for the winner. 

	Mr. Rajat Tandon, Vice President, NASSCOM 10 K start-up program, said “Platform like GITR is ideal for young entrepreneurs who are looking at getting an extended exposure to the startup community of other countries. It gives the startups visibility internationally which is useful for market access. Initiative like GITR will not only support current startups in India by facilitating them in scaling up their operations, but will also encourages more people to join the league”.
 The reward for the winner includes a flight ticket to the international finals, credits from Amazon, Cameras and credits from <keyword id="10387" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Microsoft">Microsoft</keyword> and <keyword id="6357455" type="EVENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Funding">funding</keyword> pitch with Indian Angel Network for the semifinalists. 

	The unique challenge saw participation from 32 startup which included both Indian and International ones. This was internationally the Kickoff event of the new GITR season. The international event which is targeted at innovative startups in India and abroad was co-hosted by DHI Labs, a German based Start-up Incubator venture at Impact Chapter: Startup Challenge in Hyderabad. The event was held at Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC), HICC Complex , Near HITECH City, Hyderabad, Telangana. Between 2012 and 2014, the concept of Get In The Ring spread rapidly around the world. After three editions, Get in the Ring was organized in 64 countries and saw participation from more than 3,000 startups.

	 
	 
	(Image credits: indiatimes)

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