Entrepreneurs in India are denied entry into government projects by various tactics. Some of them are enlisted below:
1. Demand for experience- Wherein many deliverables of a government project can be shown by the entrepreneur without taking any payment from the government, as proof of capabilities – such opportunities are not offered to the entrepreneurs.
2. Demand for minimum turnover- This is a tricky one. Mostly this means – we want big companies only as they are capable of paying us bribes upfront before getting the project.
3. Demand for deposit money and then MOA’s full of loop-holes- Deposit this much security money with the government – really!! college students shall pay you crores of security for managing parking lot?
4. Anti-open source stand- This is what actually prompted me to write this article.
They never allow open-source development of government projects where government defines modules (deliverables) and entrepreneurs can contribute by forming associations and each contributing association is paid according to achievement of their deliverables.
These are the thoughts that immediately struck me when I saw this photo-posted at Facebook.
Suraj Sreenath
I feel that things are changing in the government, but the eligibility criteria is something they need to enforce to ensure project is executed on time and by an efficient team. My recommendation is team with a fellow entrepreneur where you can leverage the eligibility criteria of their company and slowly build the track record of yours, start with small projects and then gradually move up. Partner with a reliable middle person (you may not understand the govt. lingo and signals), pay him only when you get paid. There is a lot of money in Govt deals. All the best!