Originally posted on Quartz: In 1985, the American chip designer Texas Instruments (TI) set up a research and development centre (pdf) in Bengaluru—then mostly pensioners’ paradise far from becoming the technology hub it is today. Over the years, the company hired the best talent from India’s finest engineering colleges to strengthen its operations. And these graduates were attracted by TI because, among other things, its salaries typically bested other options at that time. The Fortune 500 company started out as a small oil and gas company in 1930. In 1958, TI entered the semiconductor business. So far, the Texas-based chipmaker, with a market capitalisation of $56 billion, has more than 40,000 patents to its name. According to its website, TI was the first global technology company to “establish its presence in India.” Three decades later, the Indian technology startup ecosystem has a lot to thank TI for. Here are 10 “ex-TIers”, as they call themselves, who are at the forefront of India’s red-hot startup scene: View original 770 more words