These days, many students are aspiring to take the entrepreneurial plunge. Most of them are steering clear of salaried jobs and choosing, instead, to set up their own ventures in the field of their interest.

   Noticing this desire in students, Dayananda Sagar Group of Institutions inaugurated its ‘Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Centre’.

   On this occasion, various leaders from many organisations were invited to speak to the students about the importance of entrepreneurship and maintaining its stability in a diverse country like India. Some of the leaders — such as V R Ferose, managing director of SAP Labs — were also given leadership awards.

There was a panel discussion between the representatives of various organisations and the students could freely interact with them. Vijay, a management student, says, “Today, I was really overwhelmed by the knowledge I gained. I never thought meeting leaders would be this helpful. One point that Ferose spoke about was that entrepreneurship is just a mindset — we need to work hard to get that mindset. There was a lot to take home from this. I look forward to more events such as these.”

Protyusha, a finance student, adds, “My goal is to work for the financial stability of the NGOs in India. We have a lot of rich people and there are many CSR (corporate social responsibility) activities happening in the country. I think NGOs should inculcate the approach of the corporate world to administer their organisations smoothly. Financial skill is needed there. So, my plan is to work for them. And today’s event will help me in the long run.”

Hannet, an HR student, says, “This was the first time I have met such dignitaries and interacted with them. One of the points stressed was we should work on our ideas with speed. We also learnt that complacency is poisonous and that we need to plan for a product that is three steps ahead of the existing product. So, on the whole, today’s event was enriching.”

K Rajesh Kumar, a management professor, adds, “We organised this event to give our students more exposure to the corporate world. In this way, we will develop a strong rapport with the organisations, which help us with placement and other purposes. Most importantly, the students got to know the struggles these leaders went through to reach where they have reached today. It was very educating.”