Stockholm welcomes Indian tech talent

A wide pool of creative talent from all over the world and the inherent values of celebrating diversity and equality are what make Stockholm an ideal location for Indian entrepreneurs and techies.

Highlights:

• Creative hubs, access to venture capital and successful entrepreneurs re-investing in the new generation of founders making Stockholm an innovation hub.

• Stockholm launched A Woman's Place , an initiative to support equal opportunities for women and men.

• Stockholm will launch an International House, to make it easier for migrants and their families to establish in the city.

Stockholm and India have a special connection. As a progressive tech and creative hub, Stockholm attracts some of the best talents in the world. A majority of them come from India. In fact, more than every fifth labour migrant in Sweden is an Indian programmer, making Indian tech talent one of the most valuable attributes of the Stockholm tech scene. With a growing Indian community in Stockholm, an increased interest from Indian venture capitalists screening Swedish innovations, and Indian entrepreneurs looking to set up their business in Stockholm, the Stockholm-India ties have never been stronger. Indian engineers are premium talent, creative problem solvers with a passion for innovation. So, what is it, apart from the newly established direct flight between Delhi and Stockholm, that makes Stockholm so attractive for Indian talents.

No one is better suited to answer this question than the talents who have given up their current life, packed their bags, and made their move to Stockholm. What we keep hearing from Indian talent is that they came for the tech scene but stayed for the values. Like many other innovative cities in the world, Stockholm has amazing creative hubs and co-working spaces, inspiring events, access to venture capital and successful entrepreneurs re-investing in the new generation of founders. But what sets Stockholm apart, according to the talents, are the Swedish values.

The flat hierarchies, the equality and diversity in the workplace and the drive of people and passion for what they do, while still maintaining a work-life balance, keep impressing our new citizens. Recently, we welcomed an Indian delegation of start-ups and influencers to attend the Stockholm Tech Week.

Sriram Subramanian from Shoppinpal, wrote in a Medium post after the visit:

“There were so many great learnings from the trip ranging from models for sustainable living and how to drive social impact at scale, however the one thing that left the deepest impression on me is how far Sweden (especially Stockholm) has progressed with gender diversity and creating a true level playing field.”

To fight the gender gap in tech, Stockholm launched the initiative A Woman's Place in 2018 to support equal opportunities for women and men. Its website has resources for all companies looking to improve their gender equality. Values such as diversity and equality in the workplace make the very foundation for creative ideas to thrive in Stockholm. Another international talent, data analyst Marcus Lira from Brazil, commented on our creative scene on twitter:

“Stockholm is not just another place - it is an immersive experience of what's happening next in the world”.

In addition to values which allow anyone to make their voice heard, the strong pool of talents from all around the globe keeps us creative in Stockholm. We know that the best ideas arise when people from very different disciplines and backgrounds meet. Also, the entrepreneur Drew Houston (Co-founder and CEO of Dropbox) reminded us in a speech that “you′re the average of the five people you spend the most time with” . Imagine having your “circle of five” within a bike ride's reach and that those five people are likely to be some of the most open-minded and progressive people on the planet. Then imagine those people are likely to be passionate about solving some of our time's most pressing challenges. That place both requires and inspires creativity.

Now, are you ready to explore what you're meant to be doing in life If there's a place where you could have a bigger impact on the world A home where your values match the values of those around you Then maybe your heart tells you to go to Stockholm. If it does, we're here to welcome you.

In 2020, we are opening an International House, to make it easier for migrants and their families to establish in Stockholm. This will be a hub where the City of Stockholm, together with government agencies, such as the Swedish Tax Agency and the Social Insurance Agency, offer guidance through a “one stop shop” solution. It will be an important step towards creating the best possible reception of international talents in Stockholm.

Anna Gissler is the CEO of Invest Stockholm, the official investment promotion agency of Stockholm.