Entrepreneurial talent at IIT Kharagpur

As a part of World Entrepreneur Summit, I was asked to conduct a workshop for IIT Kharagpur students on entrepreneurial opportunities in green business space on 16th and 17th of January.

I had never been to that part of the country and hence when the opportunity came up I gladly accepted. I had not bargained for the energy that this trip extracted out of me - and I was better off for the experience. Thanks IIT Kharagpurians!!! First it was the journey from Hyderabad to Kharagpur and then the students' talent and energy, needed energy to handle and enjoy.

I reached Kolkota by evening flight from Hyderabad and from there a taxi was waiting to take me to IIT, Kharagpur. The taxi driver was fun to chat with and I learnt quite a few things about Kolkota, Hawrah bridge and so on. I reached the campus at 2 am and I could have been excused for thinking my clock was about 6-7 hours running fast. Dozens of pairs of students were found strolling in the serene surrounds as if it was just after dusk.

I was checked in to one of the hostel accommodations. Ankit from IIT KGP E-Cell came to see me and give me a run down of the next days plans. He did not seem hurried and at 3 am I had remind him of my inability to keep pace with their energy levels.

Next day saw a veritable talent on display - business ideas on water management, one on real time spurious drug identification system, biogas, more efficient battery mechanism, innovative solar energy tapping ideas and so on. Students presented business plans which I was to evaluate along with a few VCs. They were in various stages of commercialisation. Then I made an hour long presentation on green business opportunities which seemed to tickle the sharp brains and brought up a host of questions.

Two things stuck me - One, how the entrepreneurial support system has significantly evolved over last few years in India (how I wished something of this type were available when I was growing up) with students even in early years of their study getting to hear, meet and discuss with venture capitalists, successful entrepreneurs and experts.

Two, if capacity building, through trainings and workshops if augmented by mentoring and hand holding services followed by availability of an ecosystem for early stage capital availability for potential ideas, India could really move towards an economy whose time has come.

We all - innovators, researchers, policy makers, entrepreneurs, experts, financiers or consumers - have a role to play in creating an energising ecosystem for innovation and enterprise.

I am working on catalysing and creating an ecosystem to address three issues that can take opportunity based entrepreneurship in India to a new level and which can further an inclusive growth opportunity - Capacity Building and Mentoring Services, Early Stage Capital Raising and Business progression services which includes post money capital deployment support and various liquidity creation mechanisms in this early stage space so more money gets attracted to this gap area.

Think Big, Think Win-Win-Win!