This is one of the reasons why the ‘Entrepreneurship Development Cell’ (EDC) of MSRIT was established in July 2003.
The EDC is headed by Dr Rekha, who has been into corporate training for over two decades. With a formal education in entrepreneurship, she has been certified as the ‘Entrepreneurship Educator’ by NEN, Stanford and IIM-B. “Most students are scared to start on their own, due to the capital and risks involved. So I motivate them and train them to achieve their goals.” She explains that there are three levels in corporate training — basic, advance and mentoring. “I also organise customised programmes, depending on the needs of the students.”
At MSRIT, the entrepreneurship training is given from the first semester itself. Guruprasad, a student of the eighth semester of industrial engineering, is already the chairman and CEO of an investment and wealth management company called ShareGiants Wealth Advisors Private Limited. “The idea actually came about in 2000 when I was 13 years old. I was fascinated by people like Harshad Mehta and Ketan Parek. But money was an issue so I was just an advisor, who would meet clients.” He adds, “It was only after I came to MSRIT and met Dr Rekha, that my dream started taking shape. She was generous and treated me like a businessman.” His company was launched officially in 2007 and now has branches in other cities. “And over here, I have 23 employees working for me.”
Rajath, a student of information science who passed out in 2008, owns a software company called Nigama Tech. “I was introduced to the ‘EDC’ in my third semester,” he says. Rajath and his friends joined different companies after graduation, but shared a passion for entrepreneurship. “But we were not sure of the experience required.” However, after sometime, all of them quit their respective jobs and got together.
“Recession helped us as big companies started sourcing out projects to smaller companies like ours.” Now, Rajath’s company handles the software system of Sindhi High School and also works for the IIM-B. “We also have a site called crackthecat.com and are working on video portals for the site.”
Harsha, who passed out a few years ago, started Gumbi Software, a company dealing with innovative products and solutions catering to the education sector. Speaking about an innovative product called ‘SuDarshan’ that he has come up with, he says, “It is an embedded system that has the capability of projecting and processing without the help of a computer or a mouse. We hope to help the teachers with this device as it can project educational content through select channels.” Harsha has also come out with a book called CET Catalyst to help the students appearing for CET exams.
Says Dr Rajanikanth, the principal, “In India, the focus is more on service than products. So we want to empower our students to dream and help them become entrepreneurs despite all constraints.” The college plans to spend more resources on the ‘EDC’ in the coming months. “And we hope that these successful young entrepreneurs come back to mentor their juniors,” he signs off.