Date:15/02/2005 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/02/15/stories/2005021501671700.htm

Back IIM Calcutta keen on churning out entrepreneurs

Ambar Singh Roy

Kolkata , Feb. 14

THE Indian Institute of Management Calcutta (IIMC) has identified the development of entrepreneurship as a priority area. The premier management institute has decided to take concrete steps to foster an entrepreneurial spirit among management graduates, said Dr Shekhar Chaudhuri, Director of IIMC.

Speaking to Business Line after distributing awards to the winners of the i2I (ideas to implementation) 2004 event held here on Sunday, Dr Chaudhuri said the need of the hour is to produce more entrepreneurs "which will be good for the country's economy." On its part, IIMC would encourage its students to turn to entrepreneurship and make a difference to people's lives.

According to him, management students should not confine their aspirations to high-paying salaried jobs. They could well become successful entrepreneurs "because entrepreneurship also needs managerial inputs". An entrepreneurial orientation among the service holders would enable them to "face challenges better and initiate and manage strategic changes in the companies they work for."

IIMC already has its own entrepreneurship development cell, the activities of which are primarily student-driven. The idea is to set up an entrepreneurship development cell and an incubation facility with assistance from the National Entrepreneurship Development Board of the Government of India during the months ahead. "This will enable us to orchestrate ideas and activities, which are now being put forth in a disparate fashion," Dr Chaudhuri said. IIMC would soon launch programmes of 3-6 months duration on entrepreneurship, he added.

One hundred and forty entries from across India were received for the i2I 2004 event. Out of this, the top eight business presentations on the different facets of entrepreneurship were short-listed for the final event.