Entry strategies for internationalizing Indian IT/Software entrepreneurial companies

Abstract

For organizations, growth is the only path forward and entrepreneurial companies are no exception. After the initial intended market segments start generating expected results, the companies have to venture out to tap other markets and probably other segments. These companies must learn to grow and also learn as they grow. Umpteen number of internationalization strategies are employed and in due course some core sets of capabilities are developed. These capabilities need to be constantly accentuated with respect to the developments in the technological and market spaces for sustaining the growth and for growing further. Internationalization is one of the doors that open up, m due course. Unlike large established companies which have rich experience, long histories and organizational design and processes, entrepreneurial companies lack in experience especially expanding into (more number of) international markets. Inexperienced companies have to face unprecedented challenges in their paths of internationalization. The paths of internationalization are manifold, viz., joint ventures and R and D collaborations with existing players in new markets, direct selling in new markets, creating franchisee networks etc. In the course of internationalization, entrepreneunal companies undertake deliberate and emergent strategies and taste successes and failures. In the whole process, there will be some learning. This project aims to study and analyze this learning, and attempts to arrive at possible patterns of this learning.