“Understanding cultural nuances is essential for entrepreneurs to succeed”: Prof. Suresh Bhagavatula
Thought leadership event ‘JarXchange: All India Permit’ features discussions on how Next Billion Users are shaping the future – not just through tech adoption but as a cultural force
12 September, 2025, Bengaluru: “Today, Bharat has a plethora of opportunities in multiple areas. Technology is democratizing access to market, but cultural authenticity is the way ahead. The new skill set for Indian entrepreneurs should include investing in understanding local contexts and cultural sensitivity”, observed Prof. Suresh Bhagavatula, Chairperson of the BBA (DBE) programme and faculty of the Entrepreneurship area of IIMB, during the event ‘JarXchange: All India Permit’, held earlier today at the Institute. IIM Bangalore, in partnership with the content platform JarXchange, hosted ‘JarXchange: All India Permit’ – a thought leadership forum to decode how the Next Billion Users (NBU) are shaping the future, not just through tech adoption but as a cultural force. The event saw founders, venture capitalists, product leaders, cultural thinkers, students, etc. participating.
Limits of language result in missed opportunities
While delivering the keynote address, Prof. Suresh Bhagavatula explained the interrelation between language, economy and commerce, especially in the context of the journey of Indian entrepreneurs through the ages. “Linguistic limitation can restrict what one could do or achieve. Colonial India saw the emergence of interpreters or ‘Dubash’ – people who were proficient in two or more languages. These individuals acted as intermediaries between the locals and the Europeans, and by bridging cultural as well as linguistic gaps, became vital in trade and society. In the process, they became not only wealthy, but powerful also. They did well because they could connect the previously disconnected people and controlled commerce.”
“A big change had come in our country in the 1900s with automobile, railways, air travel, the radio, etc. In the current age, AI, digital technology, etc. are enabling us to live another significant transformation. The advent of technology has enabled people from remote areas, including women, to play a much larger commerce game, scale their ventures and even provide employment opportunity to others. Technology, by offering several means of translation of languages, seemed to remove language-related barriers as well. However, simple translation may not always help sort more complex issues. For entrepreneurs looking to expand into remote areas or globally, language barriers present challenges needing solutions that go beyond simple translation.”
Pointing out that technology and the resultant ‘McDonaldization of urban culture’ can remove technical barriers only, he provided a roadmap for budding and future entrepreneurs. “Entrepreneurs today need to understand cultural nuances, variances and undercurrents. They need to go beyond language and technology, and decode the cultural context. That is the new Dubash skill that entrepreneurs have to acquire. Grasping, recognizing, respecting cultural and regional variances, as well as family and community dynamics, should be their new mantra. It is in the interior parts of India, that a lot of consumption and commerce happens. The next generation of unicorns should be set to serve people who were not previously served. They need to be the Dubashes of the digital age.”
The event had a line-up of speakers who are start-up leaders. Nishchay Ag, Co-founder and CEO of Jar, delivered the other keynote address. The event included three panel discussions. The panel on, ‘An Academic Context on Entrepreneurship’ featured Rishi Kulkarni, VP and MD at LegalZoom, and Dr. Sachidananda Benegal, Adjunct Faculty at IIM Indore, with Prof. Suresh Bhagavatula as the moderator. The discussion on, ‘Built in Translation’ included Jani Pasha, Co-founder and CEO at Lokal, Dharmesh Ba, Ethnographer, and Prashant Singh, Head of Product at Jar as moderator. The third panel titled, ‘(De)Coding the Sacred’ had Prashant Sachan, Co-founder and CEO of AppsForBharat and Maahin Puri, Founder and CEO of Vaya as speakers, and Akashdeep Singal, VP – Marketing at Jar as the moderator. The Fireside Chat on, ‘The Story Behind Storytelling’, featured Danish Sait, Digital Creator. Also present at the event was Misbah Ashraf, Co-founder and Chief Product Officer of Jar. Well-known stand-up comedian Arvind Sunder, popularly known as Comic Arvind, enthralled the audience through his energetic performance.
“Understanding cultural nuances is essential for entrepreneurs to succeed”: Prof. Suresh Bhagavatula
Thought leadership event ‘JarXchange: All India Permit’ features discussions on how Next Billion Users are shaping the future – not just through tech adoption but as a cultural force
12 September, 2025, Bengaluru: “Today, Bharat has a plethora of opportunities in multiple areas. Technology is democratizing access to market, but cultural authenticity is the way ahead. The new skill set for Indian entrepreneurs should include investing in understanding local contexts and cultural sensitivity”, observed Prof. Suresh Bhagavatula, Chairperson of the BBA (DBE) programme and faculty of the Entrepreneurship area of IIMB, during the event ‘JarXchange: All India Permit’, held earlier today at the Institute. IIM Bangalore, in partnership with the content platform JarXchange, hosted ‘JarXchange: All India Permit’ – a thought leadership forum to decode how the Next Billion Users (NBU) are shaping the future, not just through tech adoption but as a cultural force. The event saw founders, venture capitalists, product leaders, cultural thinkers, students, etc. participating.
Limits of language result in missed opportunities
While delivering the keynote address, Prof. Suresh Bhagavatula explained the interrelation between language, economy and commerce, especially in the context of the journey of Indian entrepreneurs through the ages. “Linguistic limitation can restrict what one could do or achieve. Colonial India saw the emergence of interpreters or ‘Dubash’ – people who were proficient in two or more languages. These individuals acted as intermediaries between the locals and the Europeans, and by bridging cultural as well as linguistic gaps, became vital in trade and society. In the process, they became not only wealthy, but powerful also. They did well because they could connect the previously disconnected people and controlled commerce.”
“A big change had come in our country in the 1900s with automobile, railways, air travel, the radio, etc. In the current age, AI, digital technology, etc. are enabling us to live another significant transformation. The advent of technology has enabled people from remote areas, including women, to play a much larger commerce game, scale their ventures and even provide employment opportunity to others. Technology, by offering several means of translation of languages, seemed to remove language-related barriers as well. However, simple translation may not always help sort more complex issues. For entrepreneurs looking to expand into remote areas or globally, language barriers present challenges needing solutions that go beyond simple translation.”
Pointing out that technology and the resultant ‘McDonaldization of urban culture’ can remove technical barriers only, he provided a roadmap for budding and future entrepreneurs. “Entrepreneurs today need to understand cultural nuances, variances and undercurrents. They need to go beyond language and technology, and decode the cultural context. That is the new Dubash skill that entrepreneurs have to acquire. Grasping, recognizing, respecting cultural and regional variances, as well as family and community dynamics, should be their new mantra. It is in the interior parts of India, that a lot of consumption and commerce happens. The next generation of unicorns should be set to serve people who were not previously served. They need to be the Dubashes of the digital age.”
The event had a line-up of speakers who are start-up leaders. Nishchay Ag, Co-founder and CEO of Jar, delivered the other keynote address. The event included three panel discussions. The panel on, ‘An Academic Context on Entrepreneurship’ featured Rishi Kulkarni, VP and MD at LegalZoom, and Dr. Sachidananda Benegal, Adjunct Faculty at IIM Indore, with Prof. Suresh Bhagavatula as the moderator. The discussion on, ‘Built in Translation’ included Jani Pasha, Co-founder and CEO at Lokal, Dharmesh Ba, Ethnographer, and Prashant Singh, Head of Product at Jar as moderator. The third panel titled, ‘(De)Coding the Sacred’ had Prashant Sachan, Co-founder and CEO of AppsForBharat and Maahin Puri, Founder and CEO of Vaya as speakers, and Akashdeep Singal, VP – Marketing at Jar as the moderator. The Fireside Chat on, ‘The Story Behind Storytelling’, featured Danish Sait, Digital Creator. Also present at the event was Misbah Ashraf, Co-founder and Chief Product Officer of Jar. Well-known stand-up comedian Arvind Sunder, popularly known as Comic Arvind, enthralled the audience through his energetic performance.