India’s entrepreneurial environment, especially its vibrant startup ecosystem, is exciting and stimulating. Teaching entrepreneurship is a joy because students bring fresh perspectives and creativity to the classroom, resonates with the adage that “teaching is learning again,” and emphasizes the interactive and enriching nature of the educational process. is.
More than 900,000 jobs have been created by startups in India since 2017, according to the latest Economic Survey 2022-23 released by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The study revealed that 269 million jobs will be created by domestic startups in 2022 alone, an increase of 35.8% from the 1.98 million jobs created in the previous year (2021).
It is therefore no surprise that stories of entrepreneurial triumphs are a powerful source of inspiration for students. These stories inspire them to choose courses in entrepreneurship and management to pursue their dreams and aspirations.
Becoming an entrepreneur requires having the right mindset, skills, abilities, and knowledge. Aspiring students have multiple options to choose entrepreneurship courses at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
The four-year BBA program under the National Education Policy (NEP) is a popular choice, offering a rich set of compulsory subjects and a large number of electives to equip students with the ability to spot business opportunities and formulate business plans. We offer elective subjects. Functional knowledge for managing a business. Importantly, students understand the concept of “institutional voids” that provide appropriate products and services to untapped and underserved markets.
Students also have the option of graduating from the undergraduate course after three years and pursuing a more rigorous MBA or entrepreneurship degree.
Indian Institute of Management, Institute of Entrepreneurship Development and most other universities also offer many programs. Importantly, these programs are available offline and online as regular/short-term/evening/weekend programs to suit everyone.
A typical BBA program includes traditional subjects such as marketing, human resources, and finance, as well as core subjects such as entrepreneurship development, business analysis, innovation and creativity, business law, research methodologies, and lean startup principles. Masu.
Similarly, the MBA-Entrepreneurship program, apart from the standard MBA curriculum, offers entrepreneurial training such as business models, strategic management, business environment, idea generation and opportunity mapping, proposal and financing, and early-stage venture financing. Emphasis will be placed on psychological subjects.entrepreneurial leadership etc.
Purpose and methodology
These programs are designed to assist students who want to start a venture. The course objectives and learning outcomes are consistent with the overall objective of promoting the development of entrepreneurship. The teaching method is innovative and interactive, incorporating lectures, case studies, experience sharing, role-playing, business games, video learning, entrepreneur interviews, industry visits, and internships. Student assessment is continuous and includes a combination of tests, quizzes, exams, and viva voces.
Recognizing the potential for income and job creation, the government has actively promoted entrepreneurship through various initiatives. Startup India Initiative has been actively implementing several programs to support entrepreneurs, build a robust startup ecosystem, and transform India into a country of job creators rather than job seekers.
Under the program, potential entrepreneurs receive active support to validate their business idea, create a business plan, develop skills and competencies, receive coaching and mentoring, obtain funding, access incentives, and more. you can ask. Similarly, the ‘Make in India’ initiative focuses on micro, small scale enterprises. , the Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSME) sector fosters investment, fosters innovation, enhances skills development, protects intellectual property and builds best-in-class manufacturing infrastructure.
Entrepreneurial-oriented courses are in the right direction for creating new enterprises, increasing national income and creating jobs. Additionally, students acquire the skills to join any business organization during the initial period and, after gaining insight and experience, can start their own enterprise.
(The author is a visiting professor and management/career consultant)
(issued April 1, 2024, 21:55 IST)
