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!

Teachers, the potters

"Guru Bramha, Guru Vishnu, Guru Devo Maheshwaraha, Guru Sakshat Parabramha Tasmaye Sri Guruvennmaha"

Today's Teachers day made me reflect the life changing role that my teachers played in my impressionable days. I wish to thank them, salute them and wish them happiness and good health. I wish to list some of them here who changed my life for the better:

- Richard Sir and Edna Madam - My English teachers in my primary school. This husband and wife teacher team was so well liked by us that the learning was a by-product of our interaction. In their retirement they are as cheerful as I remember them as my teachers.

- Thyagarajan Sir - Till my fifth standard, if God had asked me for a boon, I would have asked Him to take away from this world a subject called Maths. After Thyagarajan Sir came to our Kendriya Vidyalaya, Bidar, Maths gave up. It magically turned into a friendly, likeable and easy subject. We started liking the formulae as much as his unique swear words.

- Subramanyam Sir - A whiz with Chemistry who made us undertand what we were doing for many years without a clue - titration experiments. He put the Periodic Table in our heads so hard that it has still not managed to escape after over 25 years.

- Wilson Arnold - As our PT teacher he beat us into shape by making us run around the University. He traversed the journey from being loathed (we realised later the benefits of his ways) to being loved in the four years at my Uni and I am told he has made an art form of that.

More strength to them and to others not mentioned here.

I feel, we as a society should empower gifted teachers to shape the kids overall personality in a way that they judge is right for each child instead of following a rigid rote system.

Empowering tomorrow's tigers

A city-centric growth of the country is not a very healthy trend in the long run. Empowering SMEs with capital, management inputs and marketing support will go a long way in equitable and sustainable growth in all parts of the country. The wide spread education campaign that we intend to undertake will not only bring out idle capital and put it to productive use, but also inpire potential entrepreneurs who where either letting their ideas get buried in their vicious cycle of survival-enterpreneuship or other sustainance activities like getting stuck in the jobs that they hate to continue in, but have no choice.


Our unique capital raising methodology will bring about a Win-Win-Win outcome for the Ideator, Investor and Community at large. I envision this as a movement whose time has come. In this endevour I will look for support and co-operation of like minded professionals to come together in a healthy, open, mutually beneficial association.



Please wait for my further posting regarding the details or contact me on hnitturkar@gmail.com.



Regards,



Hemant Nitturkar