Vice President calls for the nurturing of entrepreneurial talent among the youth

• We must create a Sashakt Bharat, a Swabhimani Bharat, and an Atmanirbhar Bharat: Vice President
• Gandhi ji remains our beacon because he was an innovator who constantly experimented: VP
• Our freedom struggle was not merely a political movement but a call for a national resurgence and socio-cultural awakening: VP
• Educate youngsters about the life and works of great leaders like Acharya Vinoba Bhave: VP

The Vice President, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu called for the nurturing of entrepreneurial talent among the youth of the nation to make India ‘Atmanirbhar’ in the time to come.  He said that we must tap into theentrepreneurial talent and technological skill of every citizen of the nation and harness our local resources to attain self-reliance and to serve the humanity at large.

He was addressing a Webinar on Acharya Vinoba Bhave’s contribution to the dissemination of Gandhi Ji’s philosophy for social uplift and Bhoodan Movement. 

Calling for the creation of aSashakt Bharat, a Swabhimani Bharat, and an Atmanirbhar Bharat that Vinoba ji and Gandhi ji had envisioned, the Vice President said that India’s concept of self-reliance is not about being ultra-nationalist and protectionist but to become a more significant partner in global welfare.

Speaking of the timelessness of Mahatma Gandhi’s ideas,Shri Naidu said that Gandhi ji remains our beacon even today because he was an innovator who constantly experimented.

He said that Gandhi Ji had the courage to take up causes that were most challenging like untouchability. “We admire him for his sincerity, his honesty and his deep empathy for the people he was serving”, he added.

Observing that Harijan Sevak Sangh was established by Mahatma Gandhi in 1932 out of his own deep conviction in the principles of Poona Pact, the Vice President said that to Gandhi Ji,  Poona Pact was an article of faith and matter of trust to uplift the lives of depressed class, to restore justice and honour due to them.

Shri Naidu said that our freedom struggle was not merely a political movement but also a call for a national resurgence and socio-cultural awakening. He opined that empowerment of masses was a key component of our freedom movement and said that Gandhi Ji wished for India to stay united against colonial rule, take great pride in its culture, language and rediscover its inherent strengths.

Observing that Mahatma Gandhi showed civility even in disobedience, the Vice President said that Gandhi Ji had internalized the ancient Indian ethos of ‘share and care’.

Terming Acharya Vinoba Bhaveas an ideal disciple of Gandhiji, Shri Naidu said that he believed that the essence of Indianness is a caring attitude and a spirit of sacrifice and service.

Speaking of the Acharya Vinoba Bhave’sBhoodan movement, the Vice President said that much like Gandhi Ji, Vinoba brought about change without coercion, without violence and demonstrated that positive, lasting changes are possible with people’s active participation.

Referring to the long walk of about 70,000 km undertaken by Vinoba Ji over the course of 14 years which resulted in the donation of 42 lakh acres of land for the landless farmers, the Vice President mentioned that Sri VedireRam Chandra Reddy of Pochampalli was first person to donate his 100 acres of land to Vinoba-Ji in response to his appeal.

Underscoring that Vinoba’s Sarvodaya movement and Gramdan concept exemplified the Gandhian ideal of village reconstruction and rural upliftment, the Vice President said that a trust in the goodness of human beings and the belief that the rich will share their prosperity with the disadvantaged population were Central to these initiatives. “It was a cooperative system for socio-economic upliftment of the villages”, he added.

Shri Naidu said that Vinoba ji belonged to that long, inspirational lineage of Indian nationalists who gave direction to the social and economic progress of our people.  He opined that a fitting tribute to Vinoba ji on his 125^th Birth Anniversary would be to work in an integrated manner for the rural population constituting about 60 per cent of our population.Shri Naidu also stressed upon the need to educate youngsters about the life and works of great leaders.

The Vice President called for equitable opportunities for growth to all, irrespective of caste, creed, religion and regionand said that we must essentially value individuals as individuals rather than as members of some social or economic group.  He added that Sarvodaya and Antyodayawere necessary for social unity and economic equity.

Referring to the COVID-19 health emergency the Vice President said that in these testing times, we have to come together, pool our efforts, not only to contain the spread of virus but also to offer succour and solace, in a Gandhian way, to those who have been adversely affected by the lockdown. “The human spirit finds its noblest expression in times of adversity like this”, he added.

Shri Naidu said that in times like this, it is crucial to celebrate the work done by many non-governmental organizations and to recognize the selfless service being rendered by our doctors, paramedics, our security personnel and others who are keeping us safe. He said that we must also remember the farmers toiling on the fields and ensuring that we have enough food to eat.

Dr. Sankar Kumar Sanyal, President, Harijan Sevak Sangh, Dr. Rajnish Kumar, Secretary, Harijan Sevak Sangh and others were present on the occasion.

The following is the full text of the speech:

I am happy to join all of you in this Webinar on Acharya Vinoba Bhave’s contribution to the dissemination of Gandhi Ji’s philosophy for social uplift and Bhoodan Movement. 

I am glad that Harijan Sevak Sanghhas taken this initiative to mark the inauguration of the 125^th Birth Anniversary of Sant Vinoba ji. Last year we celebrated the 150^th Birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi by rededicating ourselves to his mission of Swachhata. This year we are celebrating the 125^th Birth Anniversary of his Spiritual Successor, Sant Vinoba ji.

I am happy to note that Harijan Sevak Sangh has planned a number of webinars on “Gandhi in New Era” and  “ Vinoba-Ji” to take their messages to the grass root level.  

I am convinced that Mahatma Gandhi’s ideas will keep resonating in our hearts for a very long time to come.

That’s because of his timeless quest for truth and non-violence, for peaceful co-existence and sustainable development.

Gandhi ji remains our beacon because he was an innovator who constantly experimented.

We revere him because of his courage to take up causes that were most challenging like untouchability, for instance. We admire him for his sincerity, his honesty and his deep empathy for the people he was serving.

We know that the Harijan Sevak Sangh was established by Mahatma Gandhi in 1932 out of his own deep conviction in the principles of Poona Pact. For him, the Poona Pact was an article of faith and matter of trust to uplift the lives of depressed class, to restore justice and honour due to them.

Our freedom struggle was not only a political movement. It was a call for a national resurgence and socio-cultural awakening.

Empowerment of masses was a key component of freedom movement spearheaded by Gandhi ji. He felt that India must stay united against colonial rule. India must have pride in its culture, language and rediscover its inherent strengths.

Our civilizational ethos is woven into Mahatma Gandhi’s life and ideals. He showed civility even in disobedience. He had internalized the ancient Indian ethos of ‘share and care’. Many Gandhians drew inspiration from his writings and speeches. Vinoba ji was one of such illustrious disciples.

Dear sisters and brothers,

Acharya Vinoba Bhave was an ideal disciple of Gandhiji. He was a deeply spiritual person as well.

He believed that the essence of Indianness is a caring attitude and a spirit of sacrifice and service.

His Bhoodan movement started from Pochampalli in present day Telangana encouraged landlords to voluntary donate a portion of the land to the poor farmers.

He walked about 70,000 km in 14 years and received about 42 lakh acres of land as donation for the landless farmers. It is worth mentioning that Sri Vedire Ram Chandra Reddy of Pochampalli, who was first person to donate his 100 acres of land to Vinoba-Ji in response to his appeal.

Like Gandhi ji, Vinoba brought about change without coercion, without violence. Both have demonstrated that positive, lasting changes are possible with people’s active participation.

Vinoba’s Sarvodaya movement and Gramdan concept exemplified the Gandhian ideal of village reconstruction and rural upliftment. Central to these initiatives was a trust in the goodness of human beings and the belief that the rich will share their prosperity with the disadvantaged population. It was a cooperative system for socio-economic upliftment of the villages.

Dear sisters and brothers,

Vinoba ji belongs to that long, inspirational lineage of Indian nationalists who gave direction to the social and economic progress of our people.  They knew the extraordinary treasure that lay within our country, the country with an ancient glory, bright peaks of human achievement and remarkable advances in various fields.

It is this recognition of the hidden human potential and fostering it to achieve a just and harmonious social order that makes such great people memorable icons of our history.

A fitting tribute to Vinoba ji on his 125^th Birth Anniversary would be to work in an integrated manner for the rural population constituting about 60 per cent of our population.

I know that the Government has a number of programmes to improve the quality of life in villagers. All villages have been electrified, all villages have been declared open-defection free. Most of the villages are being connected through the nearly 2 lakh kilometres rural road network.

What we are trying now is to build a Sashakt Bharat, a Swabhiman Bharat, and Atmanirbhar Bharat that Vinoba ji and Gandhi ji had thought of.

The concept of equitable opportunities for growth to all irrespective of caste, creed, religion and region essentially values individuals as individuals rather than as members of some social or economic group.

Welfare of each and every citizen and enabling each one to participate and contribute to social good is at the heart of Sarvodaya. It is about using the entrepreneurial talent and technological skills of every citizen and local resources for attaining not only the self-reliance but also to serve the humanity at large.

Further prioritizing and focusing on the most vulnerable sections of the population is at the centre of DeenDayal Upadhyaya’s Antyodaya approach.

These approaches blend seamlessly into the current government’s overarching perspective of SabkaSaath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas.

I call upon the organizations like Harijan Sevak Sangh to identify and impart entrepreneurial training as part of developing India into Atmanirbhar Bharat in the years to come.

Our self-reliance is not about being ultra-nationalist and protectionist but to become a more significant partner in global welfare. In the true spirit of Vinoba ji’s mantra of “Jai Jagat”, we seek the welfare of entire humanity. We must make, so that the world benefits. We must think and work constructively so that the world becomes a better place for all to live in.

I am happy that Harijan Sevak Sangh has planned a series of online programmes to celebrate Vinoba Ji’s 125^th Birth Anniversary. It is essential to educate youngsters about the life and works of great leaders and about the necessity of Sarvodaya and Antyodaya for social unity and economic equity.

I commend the organisers for taking this timely initiative. In these testing times of COVID-19 epidemic, we have to come together, pool our efforts, not only to contain the spread of virus but also to offer succour and solace, in a Gandhian way, to those who have been adversely affected by the lockdown.

The human spirit finds its noblest expression in times of adversity like this.

We must celebrate the work done by many non-governmental organizations that lent support to the governmental efforts. We must recognize the selfless service being rendered by doctors, paramedics, the security personnel and those who are keeping us stay healthy and safe. We must also remember the farmers toiling on the fields and ensuring that we have enough food to eat.  of all our citizens that is enabling us to deal with a very difficult health and socio-economic challenge.

I would like organizations like Harijan Sevak Sangh to continue the good work initiated by the visionary founders. The challenges before us are still formidable. We must muster all our strength to address them.

On this occasion, I fondly remember my long association with Late Nirmala Deshpande ji, a true Gandhian and spiritual daughter of Vinoba ji and former President of Harijan Sevak Sangh. She was truly a great inspiration for many social workers.

In the end, I would like to compliment Dr. Sanker Kumar Sanyal ji and his team for giving me the opportunity to share my thoughts with you. I wish you every success in your efforts to serve humanity and make a difference to the lives of people.

Jai Hind

Oyo's Ritesh Agarwal join hands with India's Largest Incubator Venture Catalysts to Promote Entrepreneurship in Bharat

Ritesh joins Vcats to promote entrepreneurship across the tier 1, 2 and 3 cities

In a bid to support India’s growing startup ecosystem and young entrepreneurs Ritesh Agarwal will step in as an advisor and work closely with the country’s largest incubator Venture Catalysts (VCats) to promote entrepreneurship across the country’s tier 1, 2 and 3 cities. India, which is a buoyantly growing start-up ecosystem, one of the biggest and fastest growing in the world needs more and more experienced and successful people to step forward to help each other and collectively grow the ecosystem and help the country become ‘atmanirbhar bharat’ (self reliant bharat). Ritesh is taking a step forward in this direction, to give back to the country and his fellow entrepreneurs, along with Dr. Apoorva Sharma, who was one of the first people who had backed Ritesh's vision when he started Oravel Stays in 2012,  and established OYO in 2013.

Ritesh Agarwal

As an entrepreneur, hailing from Rayagada, Orissa, who started his journey at a young age, Ritesh realises the importance of mentorship and guidance needed specially for young and early stage founders. He fondly remembers how different people across the start-up ecosystem have played important and strategic roles in enabling OYO’s sustained growth and expansion. He believes that a start-up requires support at various levels in its early days. While it is imperative for founders to have the right vision, focus, perseverance and patience, the role of people like Dr.Apoorv who supported, mentored and guided him, is critical and key to success.

On the new association Ritesh Agarwal, commented, “I started OYO at a very young age and at a time when the ecosystem was not fully developed. I was fortunate enough to get some great mentors like Dr Apoorva, Bejul Somaia, and many others, who guided and supported me in my start-up journey. Today, many former OYOpreneurs have started their new ventures and are doing really well for themselves. Now that I have established myself as an entrepreneur, I think it is time to give back to society and support entrepreneurs like them.”

”Through this collaboration with VCats, I intend to enable the young entrepreneurs coming from the smaller towns of India, who do not get similar opportunities that their peers in bigger cities or metros get.  I am confident that we will be able to discover the next big idea from a tier 3 or 4 town,” added Ritesh, who at an age of 19 was selected for the ”20 under 20” Thiel Fellowship. He was one of the first resident Asian to be accepted to this coveted fellowship, established by renowned venture capitalist Peter Thiel to support innovative ideas to entrepreneurs under the age of 20.

Dr Apoorv Ranjan Sharma, Founder, Venture Catalysts

“We are thrilled to be collaborating with Ritesh. He is currently on the board of MDI University and has been the first Asian to receive the Thiel Fellowship, which shows his journey, grounds up.  I was one of his early supporters, and am really happy to see his commitment to continue supporting students and young founders in India. Ritesh’s insights will prove tremendously valuable to entrepreneurs as we continue to execute our plan to build a robust infrastructure for startups in all the Tier 1,2,3 and 4 cities across India.  His learnings will also help many upcoming entrepreneurs that have potential to become the next Unicorn but have very limited access to the right support and mentorship,” commented Dr. Apoorva Ranjan Sharma, founder of Venture Catalysts.

Dr Sharma, who has a PhD in incubation, is one of the founding fathers of India’s startup ecosystem since 2000. He pioneered the concept of incubation in the country and has established over a dozen incubators and accelerators before starting VCats in 2015.

About VCats:

VCats, which is now the world’s seventh most active early stage investor and integrated incubator as per a ranking by Crunchbase of TechCrunch, is known for developing and nurturing early-stage startups. The Mumbai-based incubator has a deep presence in over 30 smaller Indian towns such as Jaipur; Raipur, Bhubaneswar, Vizag, Rajkot and Ahmedabad amongst others. VCats’  immense capability to spot the big idea in those towns and cities has resulted in the discovery of startups such as Beardo, BharatPe, Fynd, Supr, and  Coutloot among others in various sectors ranging from FMCG to FinTech.

Meet Young Boy from Prayagraj who Built 1 Crore Company

Starting a business is tough. Being an entrepreneur one requires more than just capital, a product or service. From an idea, every process brings its own set of challenges, to achieve capital, investment, advertising, marketing and sales. Once you start a business, it requires determination and patience to maintain and grow it. Many entrepreneurs start with just one idea, a small amount of capital and yet, they build a business that is profitable and sustainable. This is also true for a young boy - Arpan Srivastava who took baby steps to create big brands and clock revenues in crores.

Arpan

Arpan Srivastava is a young 21-year-old entrepreneur hailing from the Gangetic city of Prayagraj. His rise on the professional horizon has been an inspiring story, to say the least. Two years ago, young and ambitious Srivastava, started his IT firm, Prann Industries with his two colleagues Swati Ramkrishnan and Sayanha Kshatri with a capital investment of less than one lakh Indian rupees. However, within this small period of its existence, the company has already recorded an annual turnover of more than INR 1.2 crores. 

Praan Industries specializes in IT Consulting, Professional Training, Data Analytics, and Social Media Management. The clients of Arpan Srivastava and his firm include internationally acclaimed names like Shell, IBM, Vedanta, Maersk, and Verizon.

Arpan Srivastava, in many ways, exemplifies the generation of Entrepreneurial Indians, who are looking to make it big in the international market. The growth of Arpan Srivastava in such a small time with limited resources is something which new startups should look to replicate. One can only hope that Arpan Srivastava's rise inspires more Indian youth to take risks and become successful entrepreneurs.

For Budding Entrepreneurs, SIDBI to Start Swavalamban Express on Jun 5

The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) on Thursday said it will start Swavalamban Express on June 5 this year for budding entrepreneurs.

The principal financial institution engaged in promotion, financing and development of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) said the decision to start the train was taken based on the feedback received from various stakeholders.

"The Swavalamban Express will start from June 5 and will travel to 11 enterprising cities starting from Lucknow and thereafter to Jammu, Delhi, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata and finally to Varanasi in a span of 15 days covering 7,000 km," it said in a statement.

The agency noted that the participating budding and aspiring entrepreneurs and start-ups will receive over 20 workshops and interactions which shall help to boost their growth in their entrepreneurial journey.

"The Swavalamban Express train is a part of our umbrella mission Swavalamban which aims to induce entrepreneurship culture amongst youth. It's an aspirational journey powered by inspirational India," SIDBI Chairman and MD Mohammad Mustafa said.

As part of the mission, youths will board the train with an idea, and after series of experiential learning will get down with ready business plan, he said.

"Each enterprising city shall carry theme on enterprise setting up. It would be unique exposure for being a Swavalambi. A school beyond four walls," Mustafa added.

Swavalamban Express is aimed towards enhancing the knowledge of participants about financial and non-financial aspects of enterprise running.

This will be done through experts and mentors boarding the train in between, interaction with role models, brain storming and group discussions.

SIDBI expects 500 youths to be a part of this journey, Mustafa said. PTI PSK

MD of Aarvi Encon Awarded as One of India’s Greatest Entrepreneurs

When the Great People Manager Awards 2019 were announced in July of this year, there was a name that received standing ovation from the audience. Mr. Virendra D Sanghavi, Co-promoter and Managing Director of Aarvi Encon Limited, was the oldest entrepreneur to have been recognized as a great people leader. Aarvi Encon is an engineering and manpower outsourcing services company established in oil and gas, refinery, petrochemicals, cross-country pipeline, power, infrastructure and telecom sectors.

Great Manager Institute just released its report mentioning the core reasons behind Sanghavi’s selection. Here are some excerpts from different sections of the report by Great Manager Institute, “Virendra D. Sanghavi is one of the most inspirational entrepreneurs we have evaluated. He is known for youthful celebrations while maintaining the dignity and respect a leader of his stature commands. His practice of recommending different books in different sessions as per the context of the session makes these sessions even more enjoyable for the team. He has an ability to look at the minutest of details of a task while not hampering the empowerment of the task owner. He is a coach and a teacher even before he is a leader."

As part of this Study of Great People Managers, Great Manager Institute takes both quantitative and qualitative feedback from the team members of the managers, besides taking direct inputs from the managers themselves. One of the anonymous feedbacks by a team member shows how a leader can be active on ground at the age of 75, “I was facing an issue where customer was not accepting some clauses in the agreement. Shri V. D. Sanghavi personally intervened, studied the case and guided me to either modify or remove those clauses in order to pave the way for further discussion."

Mr. Sanghavi has not only led Aarvi Encon since more than 32 years, he has also been an active humanitarian and educationist. He has been a visiting lecturer of ICT (Institute of Chemical Technology), formerly, UDCT (University Department of Chemical Technology), his alma mater, teaching piping engineering, his favourite subject, to third year students. ICT counts Mukesh Ambani, chairman of the Reliance Industries, Padma Bhushan Bal Dattatreya Tilak, and Padma Vibhushan Raghunath Mashelkar as its notable alumni, besides Mr. Sanghavi. His desire to teach is also reflected in the way he nurtures his managers at Aarvi Encon.

Great People Manager Study claims to be India’s largest study on people managers. In 2019, it evaluated more than 5000 leaders to come up with its final list that was published in Forbes India. Registrations for the Great People Manager Study 2020 are now open.

Shanti Raghavan, Social Entrepreneur 2019, Launches Ashoka’s #LeadYoung Forum

Shanti Raghavan, Founder of EnAble India and Ashoka Fellow, who along with Dipesh Sutariya recently won the coveted Social Entrepreneur of the Year 2019 by Schwab Foundation and World Economic Forum, launched Ashoka’s #LeadYoung Forum in this weekend.

Shanti has been instrumental in building an ecosystem of skilling, employment and entrepreneurship for persons with disabilities through the use of technology innovations, breakthroughs in skill trainings, new workplace solutions and behaviour-change tools. Over the past 20 years, Shanti and her teams have transformed the lives of 2,20,000 individuals with disabilities and their families, community leaders, and employers across all the states.

#LeadYoung is the first edition of a series of forums across major cities, conceptualized with an aim to set the stage for teenagers who started their changemaking journeys very early on in life. And do this through conversations, artforms and having youth led sessions.

Speaking at the occasion Shanti highlighted, “The seeds of changemaking are there within each one of us from a young age. We see the world as it really is with tremendous clarity. We question the status quo, ask tough questions. Imagine a world where this power is harnessed and every young person is a changemaker – that is why platforms such as #leadyoung are so important."

The Bangalore edition was Inaugurated with a panel moderated by Shanti and had India's teenage changemakers from across country participate. The inaugural panel was all-female panel discussion, Some of the speakers of the panel were:

Kaajal Gupta, a 17-year old, Founder of Liberate, “My OCD Fighter, is solving the lack of attention and awareness for OCD with an app and online self-help tool that can be used in conjunction with therapy.”

Sanjana Dixit, a 17-year old, Founder of Rutu Chakra, is addressing the lack of hygienic menstrual practices and providing access to required menstrual products for females from marginalised areas.

Apoorvi Bharat Ram, a 17-year old, Founder of The Happiness Project, is aiming to tackle the serious lack of awareness and the dearth of mental health professionals in Government Schools.

These 3 of them recently were selected as Ashoka Young Changemakers, through a country wide selection process and are now part of network of young people who have created positive change and are ready to take on a new role as co-leaders of the “Everyone a Changemaker” movement. The conversation was followed by a Spoken Word special, performed by Simar Singh, a 19-year old, Founder of UnErase Poetry and other sessions by other social entrepreneurs.

Yashveer Singh, Global Director, Ashoka Young Changemakers said, “We are living in truly historic moment, in a world that is defined by change. Ashoka believes in order to thrive in this new world every young person needs to grow up as a changemaker - a person who steps up to solve problems for the good of all. It is critical for India’s future to have an ecosystem where young people could lead change from early on in life."

Ashoka will be doing a series of #LeadYoung Forums in different cities across India.

40% Youths in Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar have No Idea about Govt's 'Start-up India'

A recent study conducted by Gujarat National Law University (GNLU) faculty members states that around 40% youth in cities of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar have no idea about 'Start-up India', one of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's most ambitious initiatives launched in 2016.

The study results comes at times when entrepreneurship wave is considered to be riding high across the country and both center and state governments are encouraging students to come with startups by organizing startup yatras and other lavishing events.

Titled as "Factors affecting entrepreneurial inclination among undergraduate students in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar cities", the study revealed that while 59.7% of the total 491 respondents were aware of Startup India campaign, 40.3% responded in the negative.

Besides this unawareness, orthodox mentality of parents also come out to be the one of primary reason for keeping youths away from entrepreneurial activities as out of the total 491 respondents, 38.1% of them stated that knowledge or education of management is more important than starting one's own business, while according to 2.6% respondent parents entrepreneurship is least important. Respondents who were neutral towards entrepreneurship are 27.7% and ONLY 24.2% stated that it was most important whereas 7.3% respondents stated that it was somewhat important.

According to 41.5% students, their parents did not encourage them to start own business. However on a brighter side there were students whose parents motivated them to do so. According to 36.3% students, their father motivated, while 16.1% students said that it was their mother who motivated them.

On the other side, 26% of respondents said they were not interested in starting their own venture.

Respondents when asked whether they were interested in starting their own venture, 45.21% of 491 respondents answered in positive whereas 25.46% of them responded in negative.

According to principal investigator of the study, Viral Pandya, "Entrepreneurship and startups are the most important vehicles for acceleration of economic activities and job creation. With this objective the research was conducted among undergraduate students of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar to identify factors affecting the entrepreneurial inclination. The relationship between entrepreneurial inclinations is gender neutral."

"Both male and female students showed inclination towards entrepreneurship. Students' association with entrepreneurship related activities in universities doesn't increase the likelihood of starting their own business. Motivation from role models affects the inclination of youth towards entrepreneurship," he said.

When a total of 491 respondents were asked if funding/initial investment plays an important role in making the decision to start one's own business, 37.5% of them said that it was important, 27.5% of them maintained a neutral viewpoint towards it, 22.8% stated that it was very important, 9% of them stated that it was somewhat important whereas 3.3% of them stated that it was the least important factor in starting one's business.

According to Rahul Bhagchandani, acting CEO of Gujarat University Startup and Entrepreneurship Council, "If 60% students are aware of Startup India, it is a good number and it is increasing. Regarding entrepreneurship, most students have time after academics to seek knowledge about entrepreneurship and channelise their ideas."

Besides GNLU, an another Gujarat-based institute, Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII), had revealed in its report this year that only 5% of Indians went on to establish their own business or startups, which is among the lowest rates in the world. Moreover, business discontinuation in India is among the highest in the world at 26.4%.

Source - Ahmedabad Mirror

Industry Body CII Partners WhatsApp to Train SME Owners and Entrepreneurs

Indian industry body, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), has partnered with messaging platform WhatsApp to educate and train small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurs on using the messaging platform to connect with customers and growing their businesses.

WhatsApp and CII will work together to enhance business communication for Indian SMEs through CII’s SME Technology Facilitation Centre. This was set up in November 2016, with the objective of creating awareness amongst SMEs in India on technological solutions that can be optimally adopted to enhance their overall competitiveness.

There will be on-ground trainings around the country to explain the features and best practices on the App. In addition to this, business owners located in the hinterland will have the opportunity to attend training webinars to help them grow and expand their businesses. The training material will be available on the CII SME website.

WhatsApp and CII will collaboratively develop informative content to be distributed among entrepreneurs both in physical and digital formats, addressing the advantages of the professional use of WhatsApp Business and promoting the creation of networks for knowledge sharing. WhatsApp will also give workshops to CII team members across the state, to expand content dissemination and offer local support for cities across India. The partnership starts on 29th October with a training in Pune and is expected to reach small and medium businesses along with start-ups and members of CII.

To recall, WhatsApp had recently collaborated with government of India's Start-up India initiative to launch 'WhatsApp Startup Challenge', wherein the facebook-owned messaging paltform will invest $250,000 as seed funding to the top 5 winners of the challenge and an additional $250,000 to a select few from the entrepreneurial community to promote their WhatsApp business number on Facebook.

According to a survey demonstrating the economic impact of WhatsApp in India, 70% of SMEs on WhatsApp in India say that they built their business on the platform. 78% of these SMEs say they have increased sales because of WhatsApp. Until the launch of the WhatsApp Business app earlier this year, small businesses didn’t have a formalized way to use WhatsApp to connect with their customers.

Ms Neerja Bhattia, Executive Director of CII said “CII SME Technology Facilitation Centre, is CII’s initiative to provide latest technology support to SMEs in India. It’s operating as a one-stop solution centre, summating different upgraded and latest technology from our multiple large technology partners with an aim to enhance access to technology for Indian SMEs and create technical literacy amongst them. The Centre also provides an opportunity to its technology partners to expand their market and reach out to SMEs spread throughout the country with their product and services.”

Commenting on the partnership, Mr Ben Supple, Public Policy Manager at WhatsApp, said, “Whether it’s a chai stand or saree shop, small businesses are at the heart of vibrant communities and the engine that makes the Indian economy grow, and by partnering with CII, we’re committed to helping SMEs achiceve success. Small businesses need to meet their customers where they are, and in India, that’s on WhatsApp. With the WhatsApp Business app, small businesses can easily and efficiently connect with their customers, and we’ll be introducing new features in the future to continue helping them grow.”

Launched in January 2018, the WhatsApp Business app was developed to improve SMEs’ communications with their customers, by creating an official presence for those companies in the app and enhancing their customer care, with specific tools to make communicating with customers easier and more efficient. More than three million people are already using the WhatsApp Business app worldwide.

Besides WhatsApp, CII's Technology Facilitation Centre has partnered with some of the best technology companies in India like Microsoft Corporation (India) Ltd, Vodafone India Ltd, Tally Solutions Pvt Ltd, Indus Net Technology Pvt Ltd, Secure Meters Limited, CT Infotech India Pvt Ltd, Tricolite Energy Solution LLP and Hewlett-Packard India Ltd.

Notably, CII as a part of its knowledge management initiatives also runs a Knowledge Portal called myCII.in, which is a state-of-the-art online knowledge resource centre of CII that includes premium research reports, recordings of conference proceedings, thousands of sector specific presentations, online master class videos, Webinar recordings, Investment and Policy Trackers, B2B Opportunities and online database of member companies.

Via ~ CII.in

Indian Universities, Colleges to Soon Start Entrepreneurship Courses to Foster Startup Culture in Students

Its a fact that the startup revolution has already started in India so much so that even school goers are starting their own ventures instead of dreaming a corporate jobs, as were the case in 90s. However, it is also a fact that these fresh high school or even college graduates are falling short when it comes to implementation due to the fact that they are unaware of certain preliminary exercises that every new entrepreneurs has to go by.

Be it market research, time management, competitor analysis or contingency planning, there is no entrepreneurship study material in the curriculum of entire Indian education system and till date Indian universities merely aims to prepare students for being a good candidates for regular day jobs.

Now however in a silver lining to this dark educational framework, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), an India's statutory body and national-level council for technical education, has initiated a policy under which universities and colleges along with their normal courses will start entrepreneurship courses to foster startup culture among them.

AICTE Chairman Anil D Sahasrabudhe announced, "We need to bring students into 'start-up culture' and provide a platform where they can convert their bright ideas into innovation. We should focus on start-ups. The AICTE has made its own start-up policy through which universities and colleges along with their normal courses will start entrepreneurship courses."

According to Sahasrabudhe, the role of the AICTE was not just of a regulator but also as a facilitator committed to improving the quality of technical education. He also said that laboratories and research centres should be opened for 24 hours so that students can do research and draw new ideas.

"We should create a support system for students, including more internship or skill programme, to hone their skills," he said while addressing a gathering on the occasion of the 51st annual day of the National Institute of Technical Teachers Training and Research (NITTTR).

The AICTE Chairman also assured that the council will support NITTTR for the qualitative improvement of technical education in the country.

He further said that the Indian students have a lot of potential and they just need to identify and channelize their ideas in the right direction.

It is however unclear that till when and in what exact time-frame this "Entrepreneurship Course" will begin in colleges across the country. As it is also fact of the matter that India has snail's speed when it comes to implementation of any new policy.

Last November, AICTE had announced to set up online community portals to connect more than 10,000 technical institutes across India to provide students with better opportunities at entrepreneurship, networking, jobs, internships, faculty capability building, higher education and social causes through these portals. To implement this, the council partnered with Fourth Ambit, a startup from Kerala.

In September last year, AICTE and HRD ministry had accepted the recommendations for revising the syllabi for engineering and technical institutes in the country. According to this, all engineering colleges will get new Syllabi including Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence.

Earlier today, we reported that AICTE has mandated all its affiliate institutions to set up innovation clubs to foster ‘out-of-the-box’ thinking in a bid to boost the Make in India initiative, govt. of India's ambitious plan to give boost to local manufacturing and entrepreneurship in India.

Via ~ Jagran Josh

To Extend Loans to Entrepreneurs under Mudra Scheme, FinMin Ties-up with 40 Firms including Flipkart, Amazon, Ola, Uber

In order to facilitate easy loans to small entrepreneurs under the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY), the finance ministry (FinMin) has tied up with upto 40 firms including over two dozen e-commerce firms, which include major tech startups like Amazon, Flipkart, Ola, Uber, MakeMyTrip, Zomato, Big Basket and Swiggy. Other non-tech firms with which FinMin has joined hands also include Amul and Patanjali, which are big job creators.

"We have identified about 40 companies as biggest job creators. These companies will identify people who need loans under Mudra Yojana, underwrite them and we will extend loans under the scheme," Financial Services Secretary Rajiv Kumar told PTI.

"People who need money under the Mudra scheme approach the banks, but with this initiative the financial services department is trying to reach out to those who need loans for their businesses but have not approached the banks," he added.

PMMY is a flagship scheme of the government to provide loans of up to Rs 10 lakh to small entrepreneurs. The loans are being given by banks, small finance banks, non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) and micro finance institutions.

Rajiv Kumar further said, "There are companies like Ola, Flipkart, Uber, dabbawalas, cable operators, Zomato, which have several small entrepreneurs as partners who require loans. We want to extend support to them under the Mudra scheme."

"The bank looks for good entrepreneurs, the companies look for supporting their partners and we are just trying to connect these dots," he added.

Related Reading - 9 Schemes For Women Entrepreneurs In India

Under PMMY, loans are given by banks and MFIs under three categories — Shishu (loans up to ₹50,000); Kishor (loans above ₹50,000 and up to ₹5 lakh); and Tarun (loans above ₹5 lakh and up to ₹10 lakh).

The basic difference between a regular business Loan and a loan under Mudra scheme is that Mudra is collateral free loan, which means one can get a loan upto Rs 10 lakhs without giving any security. Besides, one can get a mudra loan even for new businesses and more importantly Mudra focuses on small businesses and micro-entrepreneurs, who are outside the service area of regular banks.

Last fiscal the government has extended Rs 2.53 lakh crore credit under the Mudra Yojana, while Rs 5.73 lakh crore has been extended in last 3 years.

Via - DNAIndia | Top Image - ManoramaOnline.com

To Extend Loans to Entrepreneurs under Mudra Scheme, FinMin Ties-up with 40 Firms including Flipkart, Amazon, Ola, Uber

In order to facilitate easy loans to small entrepreneurs under the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY), the finance ministry (FinMin) has tied up with upto 40 firms including over two dozen e-commerce firms, which include major tech startups like Amazon, Flipkart, Ola, Uber, MakeMyTrip, Zomato, Big Basket and Swiggy. Other non-tech firms with which FinMin has joined hands also include Amul and Patanjali, which are big job creators.

"We have identified about 40 companies as biggest job creators. These companies will identify people who need loans under Mudra Yojana, underwrite them and we will extend loans under the scheme," Financial Services Secretary Rajiv Kumar told PTI.

"People who need money under the Mudra scheme approach the banks, but with this initiative the financial services department is trying to reach out to those who need loans for their businesses but have not approached the banks," he added.

PMMY is a flagship scheme of the government to provide loans of up to Rs 10 lakh to small entrepreneurs. The loans are being given by banks, small finance banks, non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) and micro finance institutions.

Rajiv Kumar further said, "There are companies like Ola, Flipkart, Uber, dabbawalas, cable operators, Zomato, which have several small entrepreneurs as partners who require loans. We want to extend support to them under the Mudra scheme."

"The bank looks for good entrepreneurs, the companies look for supporting their partners and we are just trying to connect these dots," he added.

Related Reading - 9 Schemes For Women Entrepreneurs In India

Under PMMY, loans are given by banks and MFIs under three categories — Shishu (loans up to ₹50,000); Kishor (loans above ₹50,000 and up to ₹5 lakh); and Tarun (loans above ₹5 lakh and up to ₹10 lakh).

The basic difference between a regular business Loan and a loan under Mudra scheme is that Mudra is collateral free loan, which means one can get a loan upto Rs 10 lakhs without giving any security. Besides, one can get a mudra loan even for new businesses and more importantly Mudra focuses on small businesses and micro-entrepreneurs, who are outside the service area of regular banks.

Last fiscal the government has extended Rs 2.53 lakh crore credit under the Mudra Yojana, while Rs 5.73 lakh crore has been extended in last 3 years.

Via - DNAIndia | Top Image - ManoramaOnline.com

EDII To Create 36,000 Rural Enterprises Under Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Programme

Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII), an acknowledged national resource Institute for Entrepreneurship Education, Research, Training and Institution Building has boosted rural livelihood and employment in village under Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP), a sub-scheme of National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), Ministry of Rural Development. The Institute has created over 7,600 rural enterprises under SVEP in last two years. SVEP is dedicated to create sustainable self-employment opportunities for a large number of youth residing in the villages. It also works towards bringing banks and financial institutions closer to the village entrepreneurs.

Selected as National Resource Organisation (NRO), the Institute aims to create around 36,000 rural enterprises by March 31, 2021 under five-year SVEP, which started in 2015-16. The Institute has implemented SVEP in across 42 blocks across states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. The Institute has so far assisted in getting credit linkage to the tune of Rs. 21.2 crore for providing funds to rural enterprises.

Explaining about the scale of the project, Dr. Sunil Shukla, Director, EDII said, “In its first phase of validating the concept, SVEP is expected to support creation and strengthening of about 1.82 lakh village enterprises in 125 Blocks across 24 States in the targeted five years i.e. 2015-16 to 2020-21. This is expected to create employment for about 3.78 lakh persons. EDII’s aim is to create around 36,000 rural enterprises in first phase of 5 years.”

“Micro-enterprises constitute a significant proportion of the existing unregistered enterprises in the country. The purpose of SVEP is to bring majority of these micro-enterprises in the main stream and assist them in funding their business model, which is scalable and can generate rural employment. Through SVEP, these enterprises are provided training and adequate business skills so as to ensure their long-term survival and sustainable employment generation,” he said.

In order to solve problem of credit linkages to rural enterprises and generate rural livelihood, Finance Minister had initiated the idea of SVEP in 2014-15, with project being launched in 2015-16. For 2018-19, the Government has targeted to create 25,000 rural enterprises and provide skilling to 4 lakh trainees under SVEP according to budget documents.

To recall, last month, EDII announced that it will provide entrepreneurship support to over 7,000 youth in 40 aspirational districts (out of total 115 districts identified by Govt. Of India) under the aegis of Department of Science & Technology (DST), National Science & Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB), Government of India.

In the same month, a report by EDII also revealed that only 5% of the country’s people went on to establish their own business or startups, which is among the lowest rates in the world. Moreover, business discontinuation in India is among the highest in the world at 26.4%, said the EDII report.

About EDII

Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII) is an acclaimed International Resource Centre facilitating all facets of Entrepreneurship Development. EDII’s mission is to be a catalyst in facilitating emergence of competent first-generation entrepreneurs and transition of existing SMEs into growth-oriented enterprises through entrepreneurship education, training, research and institution-building.

EDII is an autonomous and not-for-profit institute, set up in 1983, and is sponsored by apex financial institutions – the IDBI Bank Ltd, IFCI Ltd, ICICI Bank Ltd and the State Bank of India (SBI). The Government of Gujarat pledged 23 acres of land on which stands the majestic and sprawling EDII campus. To pursue its mission, EDII has helped set up 12 state-level exclusive Entrepreneurship Development Centres and institutes. One of the satisfying achievements, however, was taking entrepreneurship to a large number of schools, colleges, science & technology institutions and management schools in several states by including entrepreneurship inputs in their curricula.

EDII To Create 36,000 Rural Enterprises Under Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Programme

Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII), an acknowledged national resource Institute for Entrepreneurship Education, Research, Training and Institution Building has boosted rural livelihood and employment in village under Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP), a sub-scheme of National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), Ministry of Rural Development. The Institute has created over 7,600 rural enterprises under SVEP in last two years. SVEP is dedicated to create sustainable self-employment opportunities for a large number of youth residing in the villages. It also works towards bringing banks and financial institutions closer to the village entrepreneurs.

Selected as National Resource Organisation (NRO), the Institute aims to create around 36,000 rural enterprises by March 31, 2021 under five-year SVEP, which started in 2015-16. The Institute has implemented SVEP in across 42 blocks across states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. The Institute has so far assisted in getting credit linkage to the tune of Rs. 21.2 crore for providing funds to rural enterprises.

Explaining about the scale of the project, Dr. Sunil Shukla, Director, EDII said, “In its first phase of validating the concept, SVEP is expected to support creation and strengthening of about 1.82 lakh village enterprises in 125 Blocks across 24 States in the targeted five years i.e. 2015-16 to 2020-21. This is expected to create employment for about 3.78 lakh persons. EDII’s aim is to create around 36,000 rural enterprises in first phase of 5 years.”

“Micro-enterprises constitute a significant proportion of the existing unregistered enterprises in the country. The purpose of SVEP is to bring majority of these micro-enterprises in the main stream and assist them in funding their business model, which is scalable and can generate rural employment. Through SVEP, these enterprises are provided training and adequate business skills so as to ensure their long-term survival and sustainable employment generation,” he said.

In order to solve problem of credit linkages to rural enterprises and generate rural livelihood, Finance Minister had initiated the idea of SVEP in 2014-15, with project being launched in 2015-16. For 2018-19, the Government has targeted to create 25,000 rural enterprises and provide skilling to 4 lakh trainees under SVEP according to budget documents.

To recall, last month, EDII announced that it will provide entrepreneurship support to over 7,000 youth in 40 aspirational districts (out of total 115 districts identified by Govt. Of India) under the aegis of Department of Science & Technology (DST), National Science & Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB), Government of India.

In the same month, a report by EDII also revealed that only 5% of the country’s people went on to establish their own business or startups, which is among the lowest rates in the world. Moreover, business discontinuation in India is among the highest in the world at 26.4%, said the EDII report.

About EDII

Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII) is an acclaimed International Resource Centre facilitating all facets of Entrepreneurship Development. EDII’s mission is to be a catalyst in facilitating emergence of competent first-generation entrepreneurs and transition of existing SMEs into growth-oriented enterprises through entrepreneurship education, training, research and institution-building.

EDII is an autonomous and not-for-profit institute, set up in 1983, and is sponsored by apex financial institutions – the IDBI Bank Ltd, IFCI Ltd, ICICI Bank Ltd and the State Bank of India (SBI). The Government of Gujarat pledged 23 acres of land on which stands the majestic and sprawling EDII campus. To pursue its mission, EDII has helped set up 12 state-level exclusive Entrepreneurship Development Centres and institutes. One of the satisfying achievements, however, was taking entrepreneurship to a large number of schools, colleges, science & technology institutions and management schools in several states by including entrepreneurship inputs in their curricula.

In India, 95% of the Entrepreneurial Attempts Fail, Says Chairman of PM's Economic Advisory Council

Bibek Debroy, who is a renowned Indian economist, policy maker and literarian, and currently serving as the Chairman of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM), said that 95 percent of the entrepreneurial attempts fail in India.

Doubting whether the Indian education system facilitates entrepreneurship, Debroy, who's also a Niti Aayog member, said that prime minister's initiatives of 'Start-up India' were not meant for the corporates, but for every Indian to flower, blossom and flourish.

"A big question mark is whether the Indian education system facilitates entrepreneurship. Nearly 95% of the entrepreneurial attempts fail in the country and the education system never teaches students to question," added Debroy, who was awarded the Padma Shri (the fourth highest civilian honour in India) in 2015.

As a matter of fact, Debroy is quite right about weak entrepreneurial system in India, as a recent survey report on the situation of entrepreneurship & business in India called - Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) India Report 2016-17, found that 11% of adult population in India is engaged in "early-stage entrepreneurial activities", and only 5% of the country's people go on to establish their own business or startup-ed, which is among the lowest rates in the world.

Debroy further said that the small farmer or the street vendor showed more entrepreneurship skills than corporates in India.

He said that India's per capita income at present was USD 1,800, which was very low compared to the developed countries.

Debroy said that in India, reforms started in 1991. "IMF brought out a report stating that for India, it will take 153 years to halve the gap in per capita income differences in comparison with the developed countries."
"However, the lesson for the last couple of decades show that there is no need to wait for 153 years. India's past had been glorious, future glorious, but cannot say anything about the present. Now we see the present blurring into the future."

In March, a report called Asia’s startup-friendly countries list, stated that India stands at 8th rank -- behind China and even Malaysia -- in startup friendly list of countries in Asia because of the very fact that it is still the poorest country in Asia with GDP per capita of $1,710, in 2017 and a high unemployment rate.


Source - Business Standard | Top Image - OutlookIndia.com

In India, 95% of the Entrepreneurial Attempts Fail, Says Chairman of PM's Economic Advisory Council

Bibek Debroy, who is a renowned Indian economist, policy maker and literarian, and currently serving as the Chairman of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM), said that 95 percent of the entrepreneurial attempts fail in India.

Doubting whether the Indian education system facilitates entrepreneurship, Debroy, who's also a Niti Aayog member, said that prime minister's initiatives of 'Start-up India' were not meant for the corporates, but for every Indian to flower, blossom and flourish.

"A big question mark is whether the Indian education system facilitates entrepreneurship. Nearly 95% of the entrepreneurial attempts fail in the country and the education system never teaches students to question," added Debroy, who was awarded the Padma Shri (the fourth highest civilian honour in India) in 2015.

As a matter of fact, Debroy is quite right about weak entrepreneurial system in India, as a recent survey report on the situation of entrepreneurship & business in India called - Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) India Report 2016-17, found that 11% of adult population in India is engaged in "early-stage entrepreneurial activities", and only 5% of the country's people go on to establish their own business or startup-ed, which is among the lowest rates in the world.

Debroy further said that the small farmer or the street vendor showed more entrepreneurship skills than corporates in India.

He said that India's per capita income at present was USD 1,800, which was very low compared to the developed countries.

Debroy said that in India, reforms started in 1991. "IMF brought out a report stating that for India, it will take 153 years to halve the gap in per capita income differences in comparison with the developed countries."
"However, the lesson for the last couple of decades show that there is no need to wait for 153 years. India's past had been glorious, future glorious, but cannot say anything about the present. Now we see the present blurring into the future."

In March, a report called Asia’s startup-friendly countries list, stated that India stands at 8th rank -- behind China and even Malaysia -- in startup friendly list of countries in Asia because of the very fact that it is still the poorest country in Asia with GDP per capita of $1,710, in 2017 and a high unemployment rate.


Source - Business Standard | Top Image - OutlookIndia.com

5 Tips For Entrepreneurs To Stay Healthy This Summer Season

An entrepreneur has to go through a lot things on a daily basis in order to take his/her business off the ground and pressure of breaking even out entrepreneurs in to high stress, both mentally and physically. In all this, it is imperative to take care of one's health to alleviate the strain and cope with the extra weight on your shoulders.

However in India, the problem begins when Indians largely remain immune to ways to secure the sound health and often prey fall to one or the other diseases or meet with eventualities unexpectedly. Besides, there are fewer means available for Indians to plan their health security.

If we speak about extreme temperatures, like ongoing summer season in India, then scientifically speaking, your body’s thermostat resides in the hypothalamus, an important part in your brain. The hypothalamus signals the proper response to help regulate your temperature and achieve homeostasis. When it is too cold, or too hot, your body has to divert resources away from other tasks in order to restore balance.

Thus, it is AGAIN imperative to support your hypothalamus in taking take of your own health. Here are five things entrepreneurs can do to stay on top of their business AND their health.

Hydration

Nothing saves you in summer better than the rehydration drinks. Such drinks can help you sustain burning sun-rays, manage the skin glow, maintain the energy level, and ensure that you do not fall sick.

Therefore, keeping yourself hydrated with water, fresh fruit juice, homemade smoothies, and fruits is the ideal way to keep a family healthy during summers.

Get Out, Work Out

Winter ensures that we remain behind the closed doors as much as possible and mostly under the blanket, so that, bacteria and virus cannot attack us. Although what happens in the summer is exactly the opposite. Summer is a good time to spend sometimes under cover of natural vitamin C in the early morning. Stretching yourself a bit would increase the stamina and adds flexibility to the body.

Related Reading - These 5 Yoga Apps Will Help You To Maintain Your Work Life Balance

Protection from Sun

Skin being right on the forefront becomes the victim of Sun’s fury and loses its charm, shine, smoothness, and complexion.

There are many cosmetics, and sunscreen lotions are available but, there is also a need for natural ingredients. Homemade beauty treatment may help you get the feel of the spa at the cost that may help you buy a spa in a couple of years.

Intercept Insect Bites

Usually, insects too remain under the shield throughout the winter. But with changing seasons, insects have their field day, sending many humans off the field. There are various kinds of bugs that surface during summers, especially mosquitoes. Keeping windows and doors protected with wire grills would do lots of good. Also, ensure to have a medical kit with antibiotics ready in case of bug bite.

Be Careful with Stored Foods

Hot weather is the greatest enemy of stored food, especially cooked meal. If you are storing food items after cooking, make sure they are well refrigerated. Check if the item is still eatable before consuming stored foods. Hot weather can cause cooked, stored food to grow stale quickly. Consuming such food can lead to food poisoning or worse.

Also, educate the kids to check their lunch before consumption and report to teachers if they feel any stomach ache after lunch.

Have a Health Insurance

Despite all the precautions what if you fall ill during the summers and must be hospitalised, keep health insurance handy. Although you should see the doctor for regular health checks, health insurance will cover you financially in more dire circumstances.

For people leading a sedentary lifestyle, caring for the heart is also important. While health insurance takes care of hospitalisation expenses, heart treatments may need extra financial resources. Therefore, you may also want to consider health and heart insurance plans along with comprehensive health policy.

Health and heart insurance, offers you lumpsum benefits in case of any severe, life-threatening illnesses, like heart ailment, cancer or renal failure.

How to Buy Health & Heart Insurance?

You can buy heart insurance plan online with just a few clicks, without having to visit a branch.

Your family is also better protected with health and heart insurance plans. This plan, instead of waiting for your medical bills pays a lump sum upon diagnosis of a covered illness. Such lumpsum payment is not only useful for the treatment but also to run the household without having to dig into your long-term investments.

There are perception conflicts in India. Insurances were never considered for a life cover or a risk cover, but always a financial tool to save the taxes. The very concept has bereft Indians of many health benefits health insurance brings.

Health insurance costs much cheaper compared to a medical emergency, hospitalisation, or diseases can cost. Besides, it sets you free from worries related to health or medical eventualities. So, if you wish to have a healthy family, make sure you follow the basics and cover your family adequately.

[Top Image - sadanews.ps]

5 Tips For Entrepreneurs To Stay Healthy This Summer Season

An entrepreneur has to go through a lot things on a daily basis in order to take his/her business off the ground and pressure of breaking even out entrepreneurs in to high stress, both mentally and physically. In all this, it is imperative to take care of one's health to alleviate the strain and cope with the extra weight on your shoulders.

However in India, the problem begins when Indians largely remain immune to ways to secure the sound health and often prey fall to one or the other diseases or meet with eventualities unexpectedly. Besides, there are fewer means available for Indians to plan their health security.

If we speak about extreme temperatures, like ongoing summer season in India, then scientifically speaking, your body’s thermostat resides in the hypothalamus, an important part in your brain. The hypothalamus signals the proper response to help regulate your temperature and achieve homeostasis. When it is too cold, or too hot, your body has to divert resources away from other tasks in order to restore balance.

Thus, it is AGAIN imperative to support your hypothalamus in taking take of your own health. Here are five things entrepreneurs can do to stay on top of their business AND their health.

Hydration

Nothing saves you in summer better than the rehydration drinks. Such drinks can help you sustain burning sun-rays, manage the skin glow, maintain the energy level, and ensure that you do not fall sick.

Therefore, keeping yourself hydrated with water, fresh fruit juice, homemade smoothies, and fruits is the ideal way to keep a family healthy during summers.

Get Out, Work Out

Winter ensures that we remain behind the closed doors as much as possible and mostly under the blanket, so that, bacteria and virus cannot attack us. Although what happens in the summer is exactly the opposite. Summer is a good time to spend sometimes under cover of natural vitamin C in the early morning. Stretching yourself a bit would increase the stamina and adds flexibility to the body.

Related Reading - These 5 Yoga Apps Will Help You To Maintain Your Work Life Balance

Besides, losing out the bad cholesterol from your blood is also essential to maintain healthy heart, skin and mind. Bad cholesterol is a result of bad fat that accumulates in your body & blood due to unhealthy lifestyle, junk food consumption or food that have trans-fats. To burn out the the bad-fat a.k.a bad-cholesterol, start intaking foods like walnuts, berries, juicy fruits, or out-of-the-box fat-burning smoothie to clear out the trans-fat out of your blood. The best however is to sweat-out, in a your own convenient way.

Protection from Sun

Skin being right on the forefront becomes the victim of Sun’s fury and loses its charm, shine, smoothness, and complexion.

There are many cosmetics, and sunscreen lotions are available but, there is also a need for natural ingredients. Homemade beauty treatment may help you get the feel of the spa at the cost that may help you buy a spa in a couple of years.

Intercept Insect Bites

Usually, insects too remain under the shield throughout the winter. But with changing seasons, insects have their field day, sending many humans off the field. There are various kinds of bugs that surface during summers, especially mosquitoes. Keeping windows and doors protected with wire grills would do lots of good. Also, ensure to have a medical kit with antibiotics ready in case of bug bite.

Be Careful with Stored Foods

Hot weather is the greatest enemy of stored food, especially cooked meal. If you are storing food items after cooking, make sure they are well refrigerated. Check if the item is still eatable before consuming stored foods. Hot weather can cause cooked, stored food to grow stale quickly. Consuming such food can lead to food poisoning or worse.

Also, educate the kids to check their lunch before consumption and report to teachers if they feel any stomach ache after lunch.

Have a Health Insurance

Despite all the precautions what if you fall ill during the summers and must be hospitalised, keep health insurance handy. Although you should see the doctor for regular health checks, health insurance will cover you financially in more dire circumstances.

For people leading a sedentary lifestyle, caring for the heart is also important. While health insurance takes care of hospitalisation expenses, heart treatments may need extra financial resources. Therefore, you may also want to consider health and heart insurance plans along with comprehensive health policy.

Health and heart insurance, offers you lumpsum benefits in case of any severe, life-threatening illnesses, like heart ailment, cancer or renal failure.

How to Buy Health & Heart Insurance?

You can buy heart insurance plan online with just a few clicks, without having to visit a branch.

Your family is also better protected with health and heart insurance plans. This plan, instead of waiting for your medical bills pays a lump sum upon diagnosis of a covered illness. Such lumpsum payment is not only useful for the treatment but also to run the household without having to dig into your long-term investments.

There are perception conflicts in India. Insurances were never considered for a life cover or a risk cover, but always a financial tool to save the taxes. The very concept has bereft Indians of many health benefits health insurance brings.

Health insurance costs much cheaper compared to a medical emergency, hospitalisation, or diseases can cost. Besides, it sets you free from worries related to health or medical eventualities. So, if you wish to have a healthy family, make sure you follow the basics and cover your family adequately.

[Top Image - sadanews.ps]

IIT-Madras Launches I-NCUBATE To Convert Research Ideas Into Sustainable Businesses

The Gopalakrishnan-Deshpande Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (GDC) at Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) has launched its flagship offering, I-NCUBATE, which enables faculty, researchers and entrepreneurs to validate if their technological ideas can be converted into a sustainable business.

Under 'I-NCUBATE,' GDC is working to bring deep-tech ideas from the laboratories of academic institutions to the marketplace. The first cohort of seven teams that have gone through I-NCUBATE program with instructors from George Washington University completed their session on Monday, 30th April 2018.

I-NCUBATE is a 7-week engagement programme where teams, each comprising a Faculty Lead, an Entrepreneur Lead, and a Mentor, come together as a cohort under the GDC umbrella and go through a customer-discovery exercise with their respective business ideas.

The key goals of I-NCUBATE are -- to help the faculty and the entrepreneur obtain an evidence-based validation of their idea by interacting with a sufficiently large number of potential customers; to enable the faculty and entrepreneur to formulate a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) that can be subsequently tested in the marketplace, and to assist the entrepreneur in formulating a business model for tapping the market opportunity.

GDC believes that these steps at a pre-incubation stage are essential pit-stops in the journey of transforming an idea into a scalable and sustainable business venture.

All teams that successfully complete the I-NCUBATE programme will be eligible for reimbursement of expenses incurred for participating in the programme up to a limit of INR 1,75,000.

Though the deadline for application for first cohort of I-NCUBATE has ended, GDC invites applications to participate in the I-NCUBATE programme by filling up the application form and sending the same to GDC at cinogdc@iitm.ac.in.

GDC has just completed the first cohort of the I-NCUBATE program with seven start-up teams from diverse areas in deep tech - MedTech, industrial safety, environment, and agri supply chain.

In year 2018, GDC plans to work with over 50 start-up ideas in from different scientific and engineering institutions from all over India.

GDC has been established at IIT Madras in August 2017 to provide the necessary thought leadership and networking impetus to help in building the systems and processes that enable innovative and entrepreneurial thinking across the Institute at all levels.

To recall, last month it was announced that IITs across the country are planning to help doctoral/Phd students convert their thesis in to a full-fledged 'Start-ups'. The move planned will be first executed by the IIT-Delhi to allow research scholars to become entrepreneurs.

Speaking about IIT-Madras, in 2016, India's largest private sector steel company, Tata Steel, has sponsored a research being done by some meticulous IIT Madras scientists into graphene, a new-generation carbon material.

In the same year, IIT-Madras joined hands with Nokia to work together for creating technological solutions that will increase the current broadband connectivity situation in the rural India. Nokia provided funds and technological expertise for research at the prestigious IIT-M’s Center of Excellence for Wireless Technology (CEWiT).

Via - Hans India | References - GDC@IIT-M

[Top Image - EduBirdie.com]

IIT-Madras Launches I-NCUBATE To Convert Research Ideas Into Sustainable Businesses

The Gopalakrishnan-Deshpande Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (GDC) at Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) has launched its flagship offering, I-NCUBATE, which enables faculty, researchers and entrepreneurs to validate if their technological ideas can be converted into a sustainable business.

Under 'I-NCUBATE,' GDC is working to bring deep-tech ideas from the laboratories of academic institutions to the marketplace. The first cohort of seven teams that have gone through I-NCUBATE program with instructors from George Washington University completed their session on Monday, 30th April 2018.

I-NCUBATE is a 7-week engagement programme where teams, each comprising a Faculty Lead, an Entrepreneur Lead, and a Mentor, come together as a cohort under the GDC umbrella and go through a customer-discovery exercise with their respective business ideas.

The key goals of I-NCUBATE are -- to help the faculty and the entrepreneur obtain an evidence-based validation of their idea by interacting with a sufficiently large number of potential customers; to enable the faculty and entrepreneur to formulate a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) that can be subsequently tested in the marketplace, and to assist the entrepreneur in formulating a business model for tapping the market opportunity.

GDC believes that these steps at a pre-incubation stage are essential pit-stops in the journey of transforming an idea into a scalable and sustainable business venture.

All teams that successfully complete the I-NCUBATE programme will be eligible for reimbursement of expenses incurred for participating in the programme up to a limit of INR 1,75,000.

Though the deadline for application for first cohort of I-NCUBATE has ended, GDC invites applications to participate in the I-NCUBATE programme by filling up the application form and sending the same to GDC at cinogdc@iitm.ac.in.

GDC has just completed the first cohort of the I-NCUBATE program with seven start-up teams from diverse areas in deep tech - MedTech, industrial safety, environment, and agri supply chain.

In year 2018, GDC plans to work with over 50 start-up ideas in from different scientific and engineering institutions from all over India.

GDC has been established at IIT Madras in August 2017 to provide the necessary thought leadership and networking impetus to help in building the systems and processes that enable innovative and entrepreneurial thinking across the Institute at all levels.

To recall, last month it was announced that IITs across the country are planning to help doctoral/Phd students convert their thesis in to a full-fledged 'Start-ups'. The move planned will be first executed by the IIT-Delhi to allow research scholars to become entrepreneurs.

Speaking about IIT-Madras, in 2016, India's largest private sector steel company, Tata Steel, has sponsored a research being done by some meticulous IIT Madras scientists into graphene, a new-generation carbon material.

In the same year, IIT-Madras joined hands with Nokia to work together for creating technological solutions that will increase the current broadband connectivity situation in the rural India. Nokia provided funds and technological expertise for research at the prestigious IIT-M’s Center of Excellence for Wireless Technology (CEWiT).

Via - Hans India | References - GDC@IIT-M

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EDII, DST India To Offer Entrepreneurship Support To Over 7,000 Youth in 40 Aspirational Districts

Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII), an acknowledged national resource Institute for Entrepreneurship Education, Research, Training and Institution Building, will provide entrepreneurship support to over 7,000 youth in 40 aspirational districts (out of total 115 districts identified by Govt. Of India) under the aegis of Department of Science & Technology (DST), National Science & Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB), Government of India, said a press release sent to IndianWeb2.

Government of India has identified 115 aspirational districts for rapid transformation, sustainable development and growth in the areas of nutrition, education, health, skill development & entrepreneurship amongst others. For promoting science & technology entrepreneurship, EDII has been selected as national resource agency for 40 districts out of total 115 identified by the Government.

Emphasizing on the role of entrepreneurship in sustainable development, Dr. Sunil Shukla, Director, EDII said, “Entrepreneurship has been visualized as one of the strategic development intervention to accelerate the socio-economic development process of underdeveloped areas. For sustainable growth and development, there is a need to inculcate the spirit of entrepreneurship amongst local youth. Through this project, our aim is to mentor a new generation of job creators in the hinterland of India.”

Under the project, entrepreneurship sensitization and development programmes will be organized for potential entrepreneurs of the selected aspirational districts having an urge to set up micro/small innovative business opportunities. In each of 40 districts, 3 such programmes, each with around 60 participants will be conducted over nine-month duration.

“The role of Entrepreneurship sensitization and development programme is set to create awareness among the beneficiaries about the various facets of entrepreneurship so that the discipline gains acceptance of entrepreneurship as a career choice. These programmes aim at providing knowledge and information about the benefits of entrepreneurship and sources of help (financial as well non-financial), incentives and subsidies available from government for different segments of society towards enterprise creation,” said Professor SB Sareen, Project Director and Member Secretary, DST-NIMAT Project, EDII.

EDII has generated employment for over 60,000 persons in Science & Technology field in the last five years. Under Department of Science & Technology (DST)-National Implementing and Monitoring Agency for Training (NIMAT) project, EDII has trained and sensitized over 5 lakh youth towards entrepreneurship from 2013-14 till 2017-18. EDII is the national implementing agency for this project.

EDII is an acclaimed International Resource Centre facilitating all facets of Entrepreneurship Development. EDII’s mission is to be a catalyst in facilitating emergence of competent first-generation entrepreneurs and transition of existing SMEs into growth-oriented enterprises through entrepreneurship education, training, research and institution-building.

EDII is an autonomous and not-for-profit institute, set up in 1983, and is sponsored by apex financial institutions – the IDBI Bank Ltd, IFCI Ltd, ICICI Bank Ltd and the State Bank of India (SBI). The Government of Gujarat pledged 23 acres of land on which stands the majestic and sprawling EDII campus. To pursue its mission, EDII has helped set up 12 state-level exclusive Entrepreneurship Development Centres and institutes. One of the satisfying achievements, however, was taking entrepreneurship to a large number of schools, colleges, science & technology institutions and management schools in several states by including entrepreneurship inputs in their curricula.