Nestled at the foot of ShayadriMountains is Pune, an old historical city with a bright youthful spirit. The second largest city in the state of Maharashtra is home to various educational institutions of repute, by virtue of which the city was christened the `Oxford of the East'. With a thriving pool of talented young students stepping out of prestigious institutions, Pune is one of the most millennial-friendly city in India. However, for several years, this large pool of talented professionals had to make way to other cities in search of apt career opportunities. Slowly yet surely, this has changed and Pune is gradually carving its way up in the Indian startup landscape.

While the city was a manufacturing and automobile hub, Pune has witnessed various startups crop up from across industry sectors such as financial services, deep tech, agriculture, education, healthcare and life sciences, automobiles and manufacturing to name a few. From being home to few startups in 2014, the city has charted a long journey; by the end of 2018 the city was home to over 3200 active startups and the number is only set to grow in the years to come. Between the period of 2014-2018, Pune startups received funding worth $1 billion through 132 equity deals.

Fuelled by the state government's push, availability of a talented pool of professionals and general ease of doing business, Pune is fast emerging as a force to be reckoned with in the Indian startup eco-system. Infact, Pune was the only Indian city to be named as an emerging startup hub in the `Global Next' category by the Center for American Entrepreneurship named in 2018. Having attained a strong position in the burgeoning Indian startup ecosystem in such a short span of time is no ordinary feat. The growth can be attributed to a combination of various factors, the primary being a slew of initiatives rolled out by the state government.

Pune is also known for its ease of doing business and ease of living. Given the offer of a healthy quality of life and favorable weather conditions Pune attracts a large chunk of talented working pool. With a robust ITeS and automotive manufacturing units along with various research & development centers, the city is a hub of financial activity. The city is also home to over 442 colleges of which more than 100 are engineering institutions. With a young and enterprising demographic, Pune's startup eco-system is on an upward growth trajectory.

In the current edition of StartupCity Magazine, we have compiled a list of '10 Best Startups to Work for Pune'. Our intension is to shine the spotlight on these up and coming enterprises that are client and employee focused in equal measure.

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