NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

New Ventures India is wrapping up its annual Investor Forum, linking some of the country’s most outstanding small, sustainable enterprises with the capital and managerial training they need to grow and expand. ?Some initial highlights from the event include rousing discussions from Michael Owen and T.C. Venkat Subramanian of the Export/Import Bank as well as a host of panels filled with key representatives from the private sector including Microsoft India and Hindustan Lever (Unilever’s Indian branch).?

Ten of India’s most promising small entrepreneurs presented their business models to a packed house of 200 investors, corporate leaders and policymakers. ?Their products ranged from high growth clean technologies entering the mainstream, such as CleanStar Energy’s rural energy production systems, to the offbeat but surprisingly intuitive (I had never heard of Edible Cutlery before BK, but apparently they are in discussions to supply a major Indian hotel chain).?

More details to come, but from the discussions and murmurs we’ve been hearing, these entrepreneurs are in many ways heralding an alternative path of sustainable growth in one of the world’s most important economies.? In the meantime, find out more about the ten finalist entrepreneurs themselves.