India holds pleasant surprises with many of us coming to know of them only by chance. One such surprise that I came across was a nation-wide movement, under the aegis of the Bharatiya Yuva Shakti Trust (BYST), to help the unemployed, under-employed, or disadvantaged young people between 18 and 35 develop entrepreneurial talents, so that they become job-creators, not job-seekers.

It is not so much the objective that makes it special. For, several voluntary and professional bodies across the country are fostering the "can-do" spirit among various sections, including at the grassroots. The BYST's distinction lies in its genesis and approach. It is a shining example of Corporate India's collective social commitment to harnessing the youth to usher in a dynamic new economic order. The founding Board of Trustees, reading like a Who's Who of India Inc, was headed by J. R. D. Tata, who has been succeeded by Mr Rahul Bajaj.

The task before the BYST was, and continues to be, daunting. More than 20 per cent of the young people with average qualifications can become entrepreneurs, and make an immense contribution to the economy. The BYST channels their energies in the right direction.

A unique feature of the Trust is the customised mentoring provided by its 2,000 business volunteers, all the way from project preparation, resource mobilisation, management training to market support. Its achievements within a short span are impressive: The direct and indirect employment generated by the 1,000 new ventures with a loan component of Rs 3.7 crore and a turnover of Rs 35 crore is 10,000; the largest number employed in a single firm being 200.

The BYST can proudly take credit for creating 54 young millionaires already. We wish it all success in its efforts to increase the number of young entrepreneurs it supports by it tenfold, from 4,000 to 40,000.

B. S. Raghavan

© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu Business Line