An entrepreneurship workshop was recently organised by the Department of Management of CMR Institute of Management Studies, in partnership with the N S Raghavan Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning, IIM Bangalore and SIDBI.
The students were excited about it as they got an opportunity to interact with the who's who of the industry.
The main objective of the workshop was to build an effective and vibrant entrepreneurship ecosystem to develop and support entrepreneurs. The workshop aimed at recognising good business opportunities and initiating business for young entrepreneurs. The workshop was inaugurated by Srinivas P Jayanti, director, IBM.
In his address to the students, Srinivas said, "Passion and energy drives the entrepreneur on good days but they need to sustain the passion, on bad days also." He also stressed on innovation, challenges and critical phases in business.
The technical session began with Parameshwar Iyer, placement and industrial liaison, Department of Management Studies, IISc, who spoke about the highs and lows of business and the hardships faced by the entrepreneur during the various stages of setting up a business. "The period ranging from the 18th month of starting the venture to the completion of five years are very crucial. If the entrepreneur passes this litmus test, then the business goes to a different level of success," he observed.
The second session that was chaired by Guhesh Ramanathan, COO, N S Raghavan Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning, IIM, delved into the 'S' curve of business and what it takes to make profits.
On the second day, the session began with a social entrepreneur — Colin Timms, chairman, Guardian Bank — speaking about his experiences. He explained about generating wealth by helping the society.
He also introduced the listeners to a less known concept of 'Servant Leadership'.
He spoke about the hardship and challenges faced by rural women entrepreneurs. The next session was conducted by T Balachander on communication and negotiation skills. He explained the importance of proper communication and resolving of issues when communicated properly.
The main event of the workshop was the business plan presentation by competitors. There were 16 entries of which eight groups were selected to present their plans to the judges from the NSR-CEL. The judges, apart from judging the event, gave a feedback on areas of improvement to each team.
Krithika Rao, a first-year management student, said, "The sessions were useful for it gave us an insight into the real thing. What we learn in classrooms is quite different from reality. It sort of prepared us for the future." Umesh Krishnan, another student, said, "Interacting with people from the industry gives us confidence which is needed when we go out for our jobs." At the end of the workshop, the students were awarded certificates of merit.
The students were excited about it as they got an opportunity to interact with the who's who of the industry.
The main objective of the workshop was to build an effective and vibrant entrepreneurship ecosystem to develop and support entrepreneurs. The workshop aimed at recognising good business opportunities and initiating business for young entrepreneurs. The workshop was inaugurated by Srinivas P Jayanti, director, IBM.
In his address to the students, Srinivas said, "Passion and energy drives the entrepreneur on good days but they need to sustain the passion, on bad days also." He also stressed on innovation, challenges and critical phases in business.
The technical session began with Parameshwar Iyer, placement and industrial liaison, Department of Management Studies, IISc, who spoke about the highs and lows of business and the hardships faced by the entrepreneur during the various stages of setting up a business. "The period ranging from the 18th month of starting the venture to the completion of five years are very crucial. If the entrepreneur passes this litmus test, then the business goes to a different level of success," he observed.
The second session that was chaired by Guhesh Ramanathan, COO, N S Raghavan Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning, IIM, delved into the 'S' curve of business and what it takes to make profits.
On the second day, the session began with a social entrepreneur — Colin Timms, chairman, Guardian Bank — speaking about his experiences. He explained about generating wealth by helping the society.
He also introduced the listeners to a less known concept of 'Servant Leadership'.
He spoke about the hardship and challenges faced by rural women entrepreneurs. The next session was conducted by T Balachander on communication and negotiation skills. He explained the importance of proper communication and resolving of issues when communicated properly.
The main event of the workshop was the business plan presentation by competitors. There were 16 entries of which eight groups were selected to present their plans to the judges from the NSR-CEL. The judges, apart from judging the event, gave a feedback on areas of improvement to each team.
Krithika Rao, a first-year management student, said, "The sessions were useful for it gave us an insight into the real thing. What we learn in classrooms is quite different from reality. It sort of prepared us for the future." Umesh Krishnan, another student, said, "Interacting with people from the industry gives us confidence which is needed when we go out for our jobs." At the end of the workshop, the students were awarded certificates of merit.