HeritageINDIA student Krish Jayarapu notes that this isn't a typical trip

Not A Typical American Experience

Something that a typical American does not experience is a hands-on experience with entrepreneurship. Contrary to western belief, India is full of entrepreneurship opportunities. Today we traveled to Startup Village Kerala. Startup Village is a business incubator aimed to help entrepreneurs literally ‘start up’ their companies. Once we arrived we were greeted by the two of the members of Startup Village. They gave us a brief tour of the building and meeting rooms. The building itself was minimalistic— I was not expecting such a modern environment. The main point of this session was meeting the renowned Kris Gopalakrishnan, former CEO of Infosys and sponsor for our HeritageINDIA trip. Kris Ji is a very humble being and showed a lot of affection for the economic perspective of India and India in general. He gave us an informative and thought provoking presentation on the changing economic landscape of India. While on the quieter side, he still spoke with passion and purpose.There were two founders that shared their startups after Kris Ji’s presentation. Both were about technology as Startup Village is typically built for engineering and technology companies. The first product was about a machine that could extract coconut sap from trees. The second product really connected with me. It was about a drone that would monitor oil pipelines for damage. Right when he explained the problem I immediately knew how the drone would operate. And turns up, the exact idea that I was thinking was implemented into a product. Ultimately, I was inspired by all the entrepreneurs and am excited to learn more about India. Krish one of 8 students in Indiaspora’s inaugural HeritageINDIA Program. A unique, immersive, 3-week summer program, this initiative gives high school students of Indian descent the opportunity to connect to their ancestral homeland. Students experience and engage with India’s rich and diverse cultural history by completing hands-on projects, participating in stimulating discussions, and building friendships with a cohort that will share in this once-in-a-lifetime experience. With the exciting theme of India’s Riches: History, Culture, Diversity, & Democracy, students visit three areas of India that are geographically and culturally diverse, yet all very much represent India: New Delhi, Gujarat, and Kerala.