Otarian founder starts vegetarian concept driven by sustainability goal 

NEW YORK – The cliché is that if you want something done right you should do it yourself – and Otarian restaurant founder Radhika Oswal is the embodiment of this. Oswal, who has no previous restaurant experience, became so frustrated trying to find good vegetarian food options that she decided to start her own vegetarian restaurant.

With its first two locations recently opened in New York and two more shortly on tap in London, Otarian is on track for the vision that Oswal has for a boutique, fast-casual, vegetarian restaurant chain.

“To be honest it was just being hungry and being a vegetarian and wanting to find food,” Oswal said. “It began on a whim.”

Four Wharton School professors delve into India's management culture and emerge with way forward

PHILADELPHIA — India has long been right at the top of the list when it comes to discussing emerging markets, along with China. However, four Wharton School management professors have something more to suggest — despite being from an emerging market, India's business leaders may just be setting the example for the rest of the world when it comes to the best leadership strategies for success.

Reliance Venture backs startups with tie to MIT competition

MUMBAI, India – The Massachusetts Institute of Technology recently collaborated for the first time with Indian powerhouse venture capital firm Reliance Venture Asset Management Ltd. The partnership coincided with the 20th anniversary of the Cambridge, Mass.-based school’s $100K Entrepreneurship Competition and, according to Reliance executives, is part of a new trend in which a growing number of Indian firms are partnering with American business schools and the entrepreneurs they produce.

BlackBerry giant RIM moves in to gobble up excess unit

STAMFORD, Conn. — Harman International Industries Inc. has sold its software operating unit, QNX Software Systems to device giant Research in Motion Ltd. for $200 million.

"We are very pleased to have found an excellent company that will take QNX to its next level of growth," Dinesh C. Paliwal, chairman, president, and chief executive officer of Harman, said in a statement about the deal.

Total of $604.6M in 2009 a 60 percent drop; 2010 on track to better last year

In a trend that started two years ago, South Asian entrepreneurs saw a continual drop in venture capital fundraising, raising just $604.6 million in 2009, down from $1.54 billion in 2008. However, the downward spiral seems to have hit bottom and be on the road to some recovery in 2010, with $378.7 million raised in the first six months of 2010 — meaning South Asian entrepreneurs are already 63 percent of the way to 2009's miserable VC total with half the year to go.

Aslam Khan is flock’s finest at Church’s Chicken, owning 153 restaurants and celebrating two decades with chain

DALLAS – Aslam Khan is the perfect example of the American dream. He came to the United States over two decades ago, started at the bottom with a company and now has risen to a very successful ownership position with the business.

Web partner community helps businesses connect with foreign customers

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Partnerpedia Solutions Inc. has been around for over 15 years helping businesses extend their market reach, recruit new partners and effectively manage relationships with current partners. However, the explosion of business-to-business social networking pushed the company in an online direction – which now has it thriving with foreign businesses, such as ones from India.

Panelists consider ways various sectors rebound

WALTHAM, Mass. — The local chapter of The Indus Entrepreneurs, better known as TiE-Boston, recently held it twelfth annual TiECON East Conference, bringing together South Asian entrepreneurs and businessmen and their East Coast companies to discuss the latest industry buzz.

PRINCETON, N.J. – Japan’s NTT Data Corp. has agreed to acquire IT-services company Intelligroup Inc. for an estimated $199 million in cash.

The deal for the Princeton, N.J.-based Intelligroup, headed by Chief Executive Officer and President Vikram Gulati, will be made through NTT Data subsidiary Mobius Subsidiary Corp. Mobius will pay $4.65 per share for Intelligroup’s stock. That price was 21 percent above the average price of Intelligroup stock at the time the deal was constructed in June.

Deals to bring IT giant 15 years of service work

ARMONK, N.Y. – IBM has been busy in India recently, inking several deals with companies in the country.

First, IBM grabbed a 10-year, multi-million dollar agreement with ElectraCard Services, an Indian provider of software products and services for electronic payment systems, for providing business continuity services. IBM will bolster the company’s disaster recovery infrastructure.

Founder leads Convio IPO, helping nonprofits grow

AUSTIN, Texas — Most company founders view taking a company public the culmination of a dream and Convio Inc.'s Vinay Bhagat is no different. However, he is perhaps most proud of his company's recent IPO because it continues to push his dream of helping nonprofits.

7/30/2010

MCLEAN, Va. -- MicroStrategy Inc., a provider of business intelligence software and GuestMetrics Inc., a provider of customer insight products for the hospitality industry, have collaborated to build and deploy a new iPhone business intelligence application for the hospitality industry.

7/30/2010

SUNNYVALE, Calif. -- Aruba Networks Inc., a maker of network products, has completed a deal with the Milford Regional Medical Center, a nonprofit, acute-care facility in Milford, Mass.

7/26/2010

PORTLAND, Ore. -- The WiMAX Forum has praised the Indian government for its recent auction of BWA spectrum, a strong step towards providing broadband access and all its benefits to India's 1.2 billion citizens.

7/26/2010

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Imaging Diagnostic Systems Inc., a laser optical breast imaging company, has installed its first CT Laser Mammography system at Tata Memorial Hospital, the national comprehensive cancer center in Mumbai, India.

7/23/2010

LOS ANGELES -- Houlihan Lokey, an international investment bank, has expanded to India and Singapore through a strategic minority investment in the Avista Advisory Group, one of the region's fastest-growing investment banks.

7/23/2010

BANGALORE, India -- AT&T has launched its telepresence rooms in India. The telecom giant said that two AT&T Telepresence Solution rooms in its two Bangalore offices in India are now up and running. The newly installed telepresence rooms will help enable AT&T employees to communicate internally as well as with business associates and customers globally, the company said.

7/19/2010

NEW YORK -- Exclusively.In is launching a Web site to focus exclusively on the finest in Indian-inspired style. With offices in New York and New Delhi, Exclusively.In offers members-only access to a carefully-curated collection of fashion, furnishings, collectibles and travel experiences.

7/19/2010

MENLO PARK, Calif. -- VC giant Vinod Khosla has convinced Bill Gates to join forces with him in backing EcoMotors for a reported $23.5 million. The Troy, Mich.-based developer of low-emission, fuel-efficient diesel engines using its “opoc” technology had previously raised $5 million from Khosla Ventures.

7/15/2010

ATLANTA -- Ebix Inc., a supplier of software and e-commerce services to the insurance industry, has signed a contract with Hygeia HMO, one of the largest health maintenance organizations in Nigeria, to implement its managed health-care information administration system.

7/15/2010

DENVER -- Virtela, a network services company, has won an American Business Award, known as a Stevie Award for Best New Product or Service. The award recognized Virtela’s cloud-based remote access service.