EVENTS> CALENDAR YEAR >
PIONEER SERIES 08-09
 B-Plan Workshop
(July 12, 2008)
As a part of the induction fortnight of the batch of 2010, the Entrepreneurship
Cell of FMS, Delhi organized a Workshop by two budding entrepreneurs. This
effort is another in the line of the incessant initiatives taken up by the
E-Cell to build awareness amongst students about such success stories and to
enthuse the spirit of entrepreneurship in them.
The speakers at the above mentioned session were, Rajjat Gulati, the other
speaker, is an engineer and an alumnus of IIM, Ahmedabad too. He worked at
Castrol for a year and a half. Mr. Nikesh Agarwal, who is an alumnus of Sri Ram
College of Commerce and IIM, Ahmedabad. He worked at ICICI Prudential for a year
and a half.
Both of them are currently pursuing an entrepreneurial venture in the
Hospitality & Service Industry.
The 2 hour session covered the technique to write a convincing BPlan, discussion
about the speakers’ venture and future plans; and technicals about BPlans like
Non Disclosure Agreements, Angel Investing etc.
The invigorating discussion saw a lot of questions and comments coming from the
students showing their interest in starting up their own ventures. The batch has
one entrepreneur who is sure to set an example for the rest. In the session
Rajat shared the importance of a confident capable team, a clear vision and
strong execution plan. He gave examples of success stories and explained about
his own venture in detail. The session culminated with Neeraj Kumar, the E Cell
president, thanking the speakers for their valuable insights on the way to
successful start ups.
Entrepreneurship &
Leadership (Sep 11, 2008)
Mr. Malik kicked off the lecture asking the students what they felt and knew about entrepreneurship. Different views came from students which hinted towards the “who, what, how, why” etc. of an entrepreneur. While some thought entrepreneurs are people who want to be their own boss, some pointed that they are people who choose to remain free. While a few want to create wealth and jobs for the nation, some entrepreneurs want to implement an innovative idea, the students claimed. However the students were apprehensive regarding the availability of resources before starting a new venture.
Mr Malik quoted “Entrepreneurship is the pursuit of opportunity without regard to resources currently controlled” from an elite magazine. He asserted that the world belongs to those who dare to take the plunge without thinking about the unforeseen depths.
The students gained a practical view of his words as he reflected back on his life. He came out with amazing anecdotes (both from India and abroad) of entrepreneurs, who had triumphed against heavy odds despite having minimal resources.
The session was highly interactive as students found the examples highly informative and interesting. In turn, the students also shared few anecdotes involving entrepreneurs. The success stories of Microsoft, Virgin, Hotmail, etc. were shared to highlight how successful entrepreneurs generate resources from nothing .
Mr. Malik then focused on Leadership skills as a pre-requisite for entrepreneurship. The students found it very amusing when he drew parallel between questions asked to contestants of a beauty pageant and questions asked in interviews. Both the interviewee and the interviewer know that the interviewee gives the answers which the interviewer wants to hear. However students should learn to differentiate, be honest about their qualities, and be ready to admit mistakes.
The Guest Lecture ended with Mr. Malik asking the students to take the entrepreneurial plunge listening to the heart and not the head.
(Mr. Mohit Malik is Head, Leadership and Strategy Practice, Anoova Consulting)
|