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Arjun Chaudhary- The organizers of a start-up event in Noida have been accused of ‘cheating. A mega startup event in Uttar Pradesh has received backlash from thousands of founders and investors after all the advertisements turned out to be a hoax.
A huge startup event in Uttar Pradesh drew criticism from hundreds of entrepreneurs and investors after marketing was revealed to be a fake. The World Startup Convention, organized by “investors” Luke Talwar and Arjun Chaudhary, was set to go off on March 24 in Greater Noida. The event claimed to link aspiring entrepreneurs with possible investors and industry professionals for funding.
Arjun Chaudhary- About World Startup Convention (Inside the Indian Startup Ecosystem’s Fyre Festival!) (AS CLAIMED)
The World Startup Convention also named Arjun Chaudhary’s World Startup Convention is a mega Startup Festival organized by the entrepreneurial duo of Arjun Chaudhary and Luke Talwar that aims to bring together entrepreneurs, investors, and experts from all over the world. Arjun Chaudhary’s World Startup Convention is dedicated to providing a platform for diverse perspectives and ideas, as well as connecting entrepreneurs with the resources and mentorship they require to succeed.
Arjun Chaudhary’s World Startup Convention is claimed to be a significant forum for entrepreneurs and founders to launch or relaunch their firms and get massive worldwide traction. With Arjun Chaudhary’s World Startup Convention, India is preparing to host the world’s largest startup fundraising festival named Arjun Chaudhary’s World Startup Convention, with a goal of investing more than INR 1 Lakh Crore into the startup ecosystem. The aim of the grand-level convention is to ensure that no Startup is left behind and the target of an international investment of INR 100,000+ Crore is achieved through this event.
Arjun Chaudhary’s World Startup Convention aims to provide a unique opportunity for startups to connect with potential investors and industry experts, as well as gain valuable insights and knowledge through workshops and panel discussions. With a focus on innovation and entrepreneurship, Arjun Chaudhary’s World Startup Convention is sure to be a valuable resource for any startup looking to take their business to the next level.
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Arjun Chaudhary- World Startup Convention: Inside The Fyre Festival Of The Indian Startup Ecosystem
On the first day of Arjun Chaudhary’s World Startup Convention, we saw furious audiences, organizers covered by police, and plenty of anger among sponsors.
Bambrew, a Bengaluru-based D2C firm, spent more than INR 50 lakh to become a sponsor for the World Firm Convention and is considering legal action.
Media has obtained a private video showing police removing WSC co-founder Arjun Chaudhary away from the venue, however, it is unclear whether an official complaint has been filed.
A swarm of founders had swarmed the stage halfway through the first day of Arjun Chaudhary’s World Startup Convention. But instead of pitching to investors, these founders had assembled at the India Expo Centre & Mart in Greater Noida with at least a dozen Uttar Pradesh Police personnel.
If there were previously red signals around the so-called ‘world’s largest funding festival,’ as we documented in our in-depth investigation, this scene more or less confirmed that this is the Fyre Festival for Indian companies.
On the first day of Arjun Chaudhary’s World Startup Convention, the media arrived to find furious protesters, the organizers sheltered by police, and none of the fanfare promised in months of social media marketing.
Police personnel look to calm the crowds at the World Startup Convention in Greater Noida on March 24, 2023
This was the worst-case scenario for the hundreds of guests at Arjun Chaudhary’s World Startup Convention, the dozens of firms presenting at the event, and some of the event’s sponsors.
Arjun Chaudhary- Sponsors Consider Legal Action
While many participants paid between INR 6,000 and INR 8,000 for the three-day WSC pass, the situation was far direr for sponsors like Bambrew and its founder Vaibhav Anant.
D2C, a Bengaluru-based manufacturer of sustainable packaging, spent more than INR 50 lakh to become a sponsor of Arjun Chaudhary’s World Startup Convention. Anant is now ready to sue, despite the fact that the event is still two days away.
Last year, he discovered Arjun Chaudhary’s World Startup Convention and purchased eight passes for his team in the hopes of gaining crucial networking chances with investors.
“I spent INR 48,000 on passes, close to INR 10 Lakh on the stall, and INR 40 Lakh or so on merchandise, stall design, and sample development because we were told tens of thousands of people would show up,” Anant told the media after what he described as a grueling day for his team.
Ten of the startup’s employees traveled from Bengaluru, and the company was meant to provide the cups and glasses for the occasion, which would have added to the costs. “I primarily believed them because they used the names of political leaders and even the PM for the promos. But beyond this, there were videos by credible startup founders too,” the Bambrew founder added.
The Bambrew creator stated that he raised the difficulties after arriving at the gathering, but Talwar dismissed his concerns. Arjun Chaudhary’s World Startup Convention is organized by Qofunder Private Limited, which was founded by Luke Talwar and Arjun Chaudhary.
Anant, like others interviewed by the media, stated that such incidents undermine the startup ecosystem’s reputation and can even lead to firms closing down. Since its launch in 2018, the D2C startup has received almost $3.5 million (INR 28 crore), but Anant believes that other entrepreneurs cannot afford to invest even a tenth of what he spent.
Arjun Chaudhary- The audience is enraged.
In addition to Bambrew, Arjun Chaudhary’s World Startup Convention featured sponsors such as Builder.ai, Coffeemug.ai, and a slew of smaller exhibitors. We also noticed a few angel investors attending disorganized pitches surrounded by throngs.
Even before we arrived, we received tweets concerning the lack of organization and, of course, the failure to deliver on numerous promises. When we arrived in Greater Noida, there was no shortage of complaints.
We chatted with approximately 15 guests ranging in age from students to solo founders and some who have previously raised investment. Some of these had traveled to Noida from Chennai, Hyderabad, Surat, Darjeeling, Nashik, and other Indian cities. Many of them were youngsters whose parents had paid for a three-day trip. Many were students, whose parents had paid for a three-day trip to the other side of the country. Others were young founders who also claimed to have been influenced by videos on social media.
“I’m a third-year student who wanted to attend a networking event, but as soon as I arrived, it appeared to be a hoax.” “There was no security, and they let me in without scanning my pass,” remarked a Chennai attendee.
Nashik-based Aditya Nagare, co-founder and CTO of financial firm TrustPe estimated that the travel to Delhi and three days in Noida cost him around INR 60,000. Nagare hoped to meet with investors and pitch his firm in the escrow account management market.
While there were a few investors at Arjun Chaudhary’s World Startup Convention, Nagare claimed that pitching to them entailed talking about the idea and the startup’s data in public.
The event had brazenly hinted at the presence of major tech luminaries such as SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son, Tesla’s Elon Musk, and Alphabet’s Sundar Pichai, as well as investors such as Sequoia and Tiger major, in its ad campaigns.
Sarthak Manchanda, cofounder of Smart Diet Planner from Delhi, did get a chance to pitch to Aman Dasot, an Indore-based real estate developer and angel investor. But even he was hesitant to share details about his company as others watched and even videotaped him. “I wish there was a better format for pitching where we could be behind closed doors and even have some chance to ask the investor some questions,” Manchanda said in an interview.
A haphazard pitching session at Arjun Chaudhary’s World Startup Convention
Of course, others in the audience were not so fortunate. One of the most popular complaints was that there was no drinking water or food available for the participants.
Hyderabad-based According to Pratik Padamwar, cofounder and CEO of 100X.VC-backed MetaBrix Labs, none of the intended panel discussions took place, and no public address was given concerning the lack of organization and planning for the presentations. Padamwar and others were struck by the police presence on the first day.
Media platforms have obtained a private video showing police transporting Talwar away from the event, during which some officers inform the audience that he has been brought to a police station. So, what exactly transpired at the venue that prompted the police to arrive?
Arjun Chaudhary- Police At The World Startup Convention( Arjun Chaudhary’s World Startup Convention)
Media was unable to independently confirm the source of the police report. Although officials were present, the sheer complexity of the situation, as well as the fact that they had to deal with hundreds of complaints, meant that there were few official comments.
The officers on the scene were from the Knowledge Park Police Station, and the case was being investigated by Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Dinesh Kumar Singh. However, the ADCP refused to make an official statement.
The police also declined to say how many people had filed written complaints, which might be included in an official FIR if one is filed. Media has contacted the ADCP and Deputy Commissioner of Police in Greater Noida for more information. The story will be updated as soon as a response is received.
But we do know that the cops had become a major focus of interest for many of the World Startup Convention attendees. The cops had outnumbered the startups presenting at the event by the conclusion of the first day.
Arjun Chaudhary- Influencers Under Fire
While much of the ire at Arjun Chaudhary’s World Startup Convention was directed at the organizers Talwar and Chaudhary, it was difficult to overlook the dissatisfaction with influencers and their unproven claims. Several participants complained on social media that they felt duped by the event and accused Warikoo, Shamani, and others. The event’s organizers enlisted the help of Ankur Warikoo, Raj Shamani, Chetan Bhagat, and Prafull Billore for influencer marketing.
Promos for the event featured well-known influencers at Arjun Chaudhary’s World Startup Convention
Top Indian politicians, including federal transport minister Nitin Gadkari and health minister Mansukh Mandaviya, were among the prominent guests, according to the WSC website. State chief ministers and ministers from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were also present. Mr. Gadkari’s Twitter and Instagram accounts had announced his scheduled speech at the gathering.
Popular influencers such as Ankur Warikoo, Prafull Billore, Raj Shamani, and best-selling novelist Chetan Bhagat were featured in short promotional films. According to the promotional materials, 1,500 venture capitalists, 9,000 angel investors, and 75,000 start-ups were planned to attend. It was promoted as a venue for meeting new clients, networking, and pitching directly to investors.
Mr Chauhan, co-founder of Apna Mechanic, a bike servicing and repair app, spent 20,000 rupees ($244.4, £196.3) to buy tickets for himself and four colleagues.
They arrived with a presentation for potential investors. Their excitement, however, didn’t last long.
“Hours went by and we barely saw any investors,” he told the BBC.
Bherav Jain, the founder of the start-up Reproc, had traveled thousands of kilometers from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
“The crowd was full of start-up founders,” Mr Jain said. “I don’t think there was a single person [there] who was an investor.”
Top Indian politicians were among the chief guests at Arjun Chaudhary’s World Startup Convention
By 1.30 p.m., Mr Gadkari’s scheduled virtual address had been canceled, and a hum of anger was developing among participants.
Many people began congregating around the stage, demanding an explanation.
“People started asking questions about where the investors were,” Mr Chauhan adds. “And it [soon] became chaotic because the founders didn’t have answers.”
By the end of the day, a group of 19 businesspeople, including Mr. Chauhan and Mr. Jain, had filed a police report accusing the organizers of deception and violation of trust.
The co-founders of Qofunder Pvt Ltd, which organized WSC, Luke Talwar and Arjun Chaudhary, refuted all claims. According to them, a group of “disruptors” with an “anti-BJP agenda” ruined the celebration, causing them to contact the cops.
The ministers and the BJP have not issued any statements about this.
Those who marketed the event were, in many ways, marketing the financial benefits of attending it. One of the most exaggerated claims in their videos is that startups may raise Series A and B rounds at WSC.
Mr Chaudhary claims that Mr Gadkari’s speech was canceled due to the ruckus generated by the group, but that the rest of the conference went on as planned, with police providing protection.
“[Investors] may have been less in number but they were there,” he went on to say.
Among those present, he said, were investment firm Unicorn India Ventures and financial services company Bajaj Finserv.
Mr Chauhan, on the other hand, claims that the event was largely comprised of start-up founders going on stage to pitch themselves to an audience of fellow start-up founders. “What’s the point of that?”
Disgruntled attendees have posted harsh social media postings about their WSC experiences and filed poor Google reviews.
These transactions normally take months and do not take place at public events like this. Open mic pitches, like the ones we witnessed today, are typically reserved for pre-seed or seed rounds. In essence, the influencers making these promises were fooling business founders about some sort of financial solution.
Similarly, marketing for the World Startup Convention claimed that 75K entrepreneurs and 9,000 investors would be in attendance, which was also false.
The former Groupon India CEO and cofounder of Nearbuy has over 2.7 million Instagram and Twitter followers combined.
Shamani also commented to the media after the piece was published, stating that he intended to shoot one video for Instagram, but the WSC team republished this post. Shamani stated that his team contacted the World Startup Convention also named Arjun Chaudhary’s World Startup Convention in February to request that the posts that exploited his film for marketing be removed, but received no response.
However, there may be consequences in the future for influencers and unconfirmed statements like the ones we’ve seen in this case. In recent months, regulators have sought to focus on this area.
According to the Consumer Affairs Ministry’s new laws, social media influencers will be fined up to INR 10 Lakh for violating disclosures and material links criteria, with a maximum sentence of INR 50 Lakh for repeated offenses.
SEBI is also allegedly considering requiring social media influencers to register, similar to the standards that govern registered financial counselors.
Because this is one type of financial incentive being pushed, perhaps similar guidelines should be extended to promotions of such financing events.
Padamwar of MetaBrix believes that many influencers’ reputations are at stake. “How can they claim to be idols or role models, when so many young students and founders have spent their hard-earned money to get nothing.”
It is unclear whether any action will be taken against the organizers. But one thing is certain: the next startup event will have difficulty convincing anyone of its credibility.
This is a difficult period for inexperienced founders who are desperate for funding to launch their firms or begin their entrepreneurial careers. The focus on startups by mainstream assets such as Shark Tank India has made it simple for shady platforms and commission-based models to gain traction. There aren’t many. There’s hardly any protection for founders and there is no dearth of stories of founders falling for these traps.
Source- World Startup Convention: The Indian Startup Ecosystem’s Fyre Festival (inc42.com)
Arjun Chaudhary- India needs more ethical marketing from its influencers
Warikoo, a bestselling author with 2.2 million Instagram followers, denied any direct involvement in the event. He said his team had asked the organizers several times to remove ads featuring him after he disassociated himself from the event in January. However, he claims that they never complied.
Others, such as Bhagat, have declined to comment.
This is not the first time that Indian social media influencers and content creators have been accused of reckless marketing. Several have been identified in relation to cryptocurrency-related advertising, online games, and even financial markets.
In January, India’s Consumer Affairs Ministry stated that such deceptive advertising would result in a fine of up to $60,700 or account suspension for up to two years.
According to experts, careful adherence to such standards is critical. “They have to go beyond what’s on paper and implement,” Ami Shah, co-founder of the digital marketing agency IntelliAssist, told Quartz. “Having said that, the government is a crucial element in policymaking, but it has to be a combined effort from influencers, corporates, the public, and the government.”
According to Gogia, even content providers must be conscious of providing adequate disclaimers to their audience.
“In such cases where influencers have disassociated themselves from a brand or event, we suggest [they] communicate this with their audience, especially if their content is still being used for the promotions of the event,” he went on to say. “This helps ensure their followers and audience is not misled or scammed.”
Reference- The “world’s biggest startup funding festival” that never was (yahoo.com)
Arjun Chaudhary- The Great Con: World Startup Convention 2023. How did Luke Talwar And Arjun Chaudhary manage to scam people?
Let’s Understand.
1) The first obligation is the event industry, which often promises to meet an investor at an event and acquire cash in 5 minutes.
2) The Startups themselves are the second most culpable community for having this irresponsible mental pattern of hoping to meet Investors when thousands of other Startups in the audience are competing to accomplish the same.
So, how did it happen?
Arjun Chaudhary and Luke Talwar, co-founders of WSC’23, must have strong political connections through their families. They met and persuaded Nitin Gadkari, and here is photographic evidence of that meeting as well as an article from Outlook detailing how fantastic this event will be.
It was simple back then. Arjun/ Luke had the audacity to place a banner of Elon Musk, Sundar Pichai, Mayoshi San, and Gautam Adani on their website.
Then the 4 Celebrities got conned, like the Startups:-
What do you think these four celebrity influencers would do if WSC threw these names at them: Chetan Bhagat, Ankur Warikoo, Raj Shamani, and Prafull Billore? They fell into the swindle, and most likely “Minister Reference” political pressure was applied, and these four caved and provided their promotional videos. As a result, these four were duped just as much as the Startups. BTW, I was invited as a VIP Guest, but I declined because they said I’d be meeting 7000 Angel Investors and 3000 Venture Capitalists:) It was a clear con.
From now on please note:-
1. Genuine investor summits exist, like those from TiE, IITs, IIMs, etc.
2. But expecting to meet an Investor in a crowd of 500 or 1000 people, all mostly startups (like you!), and hoping to meet the Investor, get his email ID, is STUPID thinking!! If you burn money now, please speak openly about it.
Reach out to investors on Linkedin and keep pinging them on the success of your startup, attempt to gain their email ID, email them for 6 months, and then ask for investment! Expect foolish things like a LinkedIn acquaintance handing you a check via LinkedIn message! Also, stop watching Shark Tank India. Google, mimic how Y Combinator Videos raise funds.
In the first comment, Bramble Founder showed a video of how he burned INR 50L / USD 60,000 on the event…
In the second remark, Yahoo Finance has posted an outstanding piece.
The Great Swindle! Startups should quit anticipating cash at events and instead focus on growing their business and achieving something worth investing in. Persuade customers to pay you. Then consult the investors!
Arjun Chaudhary- People’s reaction to the Scam that shook the Indian Startup Industry
Arjun Chaudhary- from the inspiration comes to launch a mega startup event in Uttar Pradesh to fool investors with big false claims.
Fyre Festival was a deceptive luxury music festival created by con artist Billy McFarland and rapper Ja Rule. It was designed to promote the company’s Fyre app for booking music talent. The event was set to take place on the Bahamian island of Great Exuma on April 28-30 and May 5-7, 2017.
Social media influencers such as Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid, Hailey Baldwin, and Emily Ratajkowski promoted the event on Instagram, many of whom did not originally reveal that they were paid to do so. During the Fyre Festival’s inaugural weekend, the event experienced problems related to security, food, accommodation, medical services, and artist relations, resulting in the festival being postponed indefinitely, and eventually canceled. Instead of the luxury villas and gourmet meals for which festival attendees paid hundreds of dollars, they received packaged sandwiches, and poorly-furnished tents as their accommodation.
McFarland pleaded guilty in March 2018 to one count of wire fraud to deceive investors and ticket holders, as well as a second count of defrauding a ticket vendor. McFarland was sentenced to six years in jail and ordered to forfeit US$26 million in October 2018.
At least eight lawsuits have been filed against the organizers for allegedly scamming ticket buyers, with several requesting class-action status and one claiming more than $100 million in damages. In 2019, two documentaries concerning the festival’s activities were released: Hulu’s Fyre Fraud and Netflix’s Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened. It was also featured in an episode of CNBC’s American Greed in 2019 and an episode of ABC’s The Con in 2021.
Fake PR done by Arjun Chaudhary – Arjun Chaudhary & Luke Talwar Of World Startup Convention Met Nitin Gadkari
The World Startup Convention is a mega Startup Festival organized by the entrepreneurial duo of Arjun Chaudhary and Luke Talwar that aims to bring together entrepreneurs, investors, and experts from all over the world. The World Startup Convention is dedicated to providing a platform for diverse perspectives and ideas, as well as connecting entrepreneurs with the resources and mentorship they require to succeed.
On Wednesday, January 11th, 2023, Nitin Gadkari, India’s Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, met with Arjun Chaudhary and Luke Talwar, co-founders of the World Startup Convention, in his official residence in the National Capital, 2, Motilal Nehru Marg. Arjun and Luke, who have made a reputation for themselves in the entrepreneurial world, also informed the Former National President of the BJP about the World Startup Convention, which is expected to be India’s largest and most renowned Startup Festival.
The Co-founders of the World Startup Convention had a Chai Pe Charcha (Brief Discussion over Tea) with Nitin Gadkari over a plethora of subjects that included Ease of Doing Business, the role of Indian Startup in the Economy, ways to bring more Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) and ways to make India a robust Startup Hub. Arjun Chaudhary and Luke Talwar felicitated the Hon’ble Minister for Transport and congratulated him for creating a robust road network across the country.
An elated Arjun Chaudhary, the Co-founder of the World Startup Convention, upon meeting Naitin Gadkari, stated “It is indeed a great honor for me to have met Nitin Gadkari under whose leadership the NHAI is doing phenomenal work in connecting the road transport system of India. I would like to convey my heartfelt thanks to the Union Minister for the time he gave to us despite his busy schedule.
Arjun Chaudhary- Elon Musk (Owner of Tesla- Who was supposed to be invited to the event” World Startup Convention” as claimed by Arjun Chaudhary)
Elon Reeve Musk is a business magnate and investor. Musk is the founder, chairman, CEO, and chief technology officer of SpaceX; angel investor, CEO, product architect, and former chairman of Tesla, Inc.; owner, chairman, and CTO of X Corp.; founder of the Boring Company; co-founder of Neuralink and OpenAI; and president of the Musk Foundation. He is the wealthiest person in the world, with an estimated net worth of US$232 billion as of September 2023, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, and $253 billion according to Forbes, primarily from his ownership stakes in both Tesla and SpaceX.
Musk was born in Pretoria, South Africa, and attended the University of Pretoria for a short time before coming to Canada at the age of 18, gaining citizenship through his Canadian-born mother. He enrolled at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, two years later. Musk went on to get bachelor’s degrees in economics and physics at the University of Pennsylvania.
In 1995, he relocated to California to attend Stanford University. Musk, however, left after two days and co-founded Zip2, an online city guide software company, with his brother Kimbal. In 1999, Compaq purchased the business for $307 million, and Musk used $12 million of the proceeds to co-found X.com, a direct bank. In the year 2000, X.com combined with Confinity to establish PayPal.
Tesla, Inc., headquartered in Austin, Texas, is an American multinational automobile and clean energy corporation that designs and manufactures electric vehicles, stationary battery energy storage systems ranging from residential to grid-scale, solar panels and solar shingles, and related goods and services. Its subsidiary Tesla Energy designs and installs photovoltaic systems in the United States, and it is one of the world’s leading suppliers of battery energy storage systems, with 6.5 gigatonne-hours installed by 2022.
Tesla is one of the most valuable corporations in the world and, as of 2023, the most valuable automaker. With an 18% market share in 2022, the business topped the battery electric car industry. Tesla was incorporated in July 2003 by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning as Tesla Motors. The company’s name is a tribute to inventor and electrical engineer Nikola Tesla.
Arjun Chaudhary- Sundar Pichai (Owner of Google was supposed to be invited to the event” World Startup Convention” as claimed by Arjun Chaudhary)
Sundar Pichai Sundararajan, often known as Pichai Sundararajan, is an Indian-born American business leader. He is the chairman and CEO of Alphabet Inc. and its subsidiary Google.
Pichai started off as a materials engineer. Pichai joined Google in 2004,[9] after a brief stint at the management consulting firm McKinsey & Co., where he led the product management and innovation efforts for a suite of Google’s client software products, including Google Chrome and ChromeOS, as well as being largely responsible for Google Drive.
He also oversaw the development of other applications such as Gmail and Google Maps. In 2010, Pichai also announced Google’s open-sourcing of the new video codec VP8 and the introduction of the new video format WebM. The Chromebook was released in 2012. In 2013, Pichai added Android to the list of Google products that he oversaw.
Pichai was selected to become the next CEO of Google on August 10, 2015, after previously being appointed Product Chief by CEO Larry Page. On October 24, 2015, he stepped into the new position at the completion of the formation of Alphabet Inc., the new holding company for the Google company family. He was appointed to the Alphabet Board of Directors in 2017.
Pichai was included in Time’s annual list of the 100 most influential people in 2016 and 2020.
Google LLC is a multinational technology business based in California that specializes in artificial intelligence, online advertising, search engine technology, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, and consumer electronics.
Because of its market dominance, data collection, and technological advantages in the field of artificial intelligence, it has been called “the most powerful company in the world” and one of the world’s most valuable brands. Google’s parent company Alphabet Inc. is one of the five Big Tech corporations, along with Amazon, Apple Inc., Meta Platforms, and Microsoft.
Google was founded on September 4, 1998, by American computer scientists Larry Page and Sergey Brin while they were PhD students at Stanford University in California. Together they own about 14% of its publicly listed shares and control 56% of its stockholder voting power through super-voting stock.
The company went public via an initial public offering (IPO) in 2004. In 2015, Google was reorganized as a wholly owned subsidiary of Alphabet Inc. Google is Alphabet’s largest subsidiary and is a holding company for Alphabet’s internet properties and interests. Sundar Pichai was appointed CEO of Google on October 24, 2015, replacing Larry Page, who became the CEO of Alphabet. On December 3, 2019, Pichai also became the CEO of Alphabet.
Arjun Chaudhary- Conclusion
How this mega startup scam could have been prevented in India:
- Thorough study: Before investing in a startup, do extensive research on the firm, its founders, and its business model. Look for red signs like lack of openness, broken promises, or unrealistic expectations.
- Check the startup founders’ credentials, including their educational qualifications, employment experience, and track record. Check to see if they have a track record of success in previous endeavors.
- Check for legal compliance: Determine whether the startup has been registered with the right authorities and is in conformity with all legal and regulatory requirements.
- Verify legal compliance: Check to see if the startup is registered with the right authorities and if it is adhering to all legal and regulatory standards.
- Seek professional advice: Before investing in a startup, consult with a professional, such as a lawyer or a financial counselor.
- Look for firms that are upfront about their operations, business model, and financial projections. Avoid investing in startups that are opaque or refuse to reveal critical information.
- Don’t fall for high returns: Be cautious of startups that promise high returns on investment in a short period of time. Such promises are often too good to be true and may turn out to be a scam.
- Check social proof: Check for social proof in the form of customer reviews, media coverage, and industry awards. A startup with a good track record of positive social proof is likely to be a safer investment.
- Avoid unsolicited offers: Be cautious of unsolicited offers from unknown startups. Such offers may be part of a scam to defraud investors