ESpark to roll out Indian ‘hatcheries’ programme

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

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.

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.