ESpark to roll out Indian ‘hatcheries’ programme

Business accelerator programme Entrepreneurial Spark is looking to help hundreds of businesses and create thousands of jobs in India with its first expansion beyond UK shores.

Jim Duffy: 'We build people who build businesses'. Picture: Neil Hanna

Co-founder and chief executive Jim Duffy said the plan called for a string of centres across India to support the country’s growing culture of innovation and entrepreneurship. The Indian accelerator programme is a joint venture with Viridian, and will be known as Entrepreneurial Spark – Powered by Viridian.

ESpark’s initial three business “hatcheries”, in Ayrshire, Edinburgh and Glasgow, have been followed up with launches in a number of English cities.

Duffy said: “We build people who build businesses, and that has a huge positive knock-on effect in terms of innovation, job creation and economic growth.

“We have chosen India as our first overseas expansion because of the huge potential there for entrepreneurship to make a difference.”

The Indian locations will include Bangalore and Delhi.