PG Department of Commerce & Management Organized a workshop On "Empowering The Next Generation: Nurturing Entrepreneurial Skills in Students"

 

On 25^th October, 2023 (Wednesday), PG Department of Commerce and Management organized a workshop on the topic "Empowering The Next Generation: Nurturing Entrepreneurial Skills in Students". The objective of this workshop was to motivate the students, inspire them to pursue their careers as entrepreneurs, and give them deep insights on entrepreneurship. It was focused on removing the mental blocks of students and inspiring them to be better future entrepreneurs. The resource person for the workshop was a versatile personality, Dr. Pooja Sikka, Assistant Professor in Economics, University Institute of Laws, Panjab University Regional Centre, Ludhiana, Punjab. She received a fellowship from University Grants Commission to pursue her Ph.D. in Economics from the Department of Economics, Punjabi University, Patiala. She has been an achiever throughout her academic career. Her dedication and outstanding capabilities helped her achieve various scholarships.

Mrs. Shikha Puri, Dean, Commerce Club, introduced the honourable resource person and Mrs. Alka Sharma, Head, offered a green welcome. Dr. Pooja Sikka took the opportunity to explain the meaning of entrepreneurship, the entrepreneur, and the reasons for choosing entrepreneurship. She mentioned that entrepreneurship not only means running a business rather a process of designing, launching, and running a new business. She also stressed that an entrepreneur must have the capacity and willingness to develop, organize, and manage a business venture, along with any of its risks, in order to make a profit.

She remarked that to be an entrepreneur, one must be someone who envisions, creates, and converts an idea that they are absolutely crazy about. Citing the example of Thomas Alva Edison, she said an entrepreneur must look at life differently, be committed to work, have a positive outlook toward things, and think that the word “no” means “to find a better way”.

She detailed the valid reasons for taking entrepreneurship and said that entrepreneurs earn high financial gains, have a flexible work schedule, and have opportunities to learn more. She gave inspirational examples of leading entrepreneurs: Ritesh Agarwal: The Founder of OYO Rooms, Byju Raveendran: The Founder of BYJU'S, Mukesh Ambani: Reliance Industries, Azim Premji: Wipro Limited, N. R. Narayana Murthy: Infosys, and Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw: Biocon Limited.

Further, questionnaires were given to the students for their self-assessment as entrepreneurs. Students participated in this activity with keen interest and evaluated themselves honestly. She expressed that students who scored a total above 65 have the potential to explore themselves as future entrepreneurs. Many students scored above 65. This served as a SWOT analysis for students, and they realized where they stood. To motivate the students, an inspirational video on “The Journey from Dream to Reality” was shown. This gave students a message that passion and perseverance are the two must haves to achieve and accomplish their goals.  She then explained a Case Study: "Sustainable Food Delivery Service" to the students. It was a brainstorming activity concerned about Environmental Impact Analysis (EIA), Sustainable Business Model Development, Market Research and Target Audience, Menu and Sourcing Strategy, Technology and Delivery Efficiency.

Mrs. Alka Sharma, Head, presented a memento as a token of thanks to the honourable resource person. Later, she gave her valuable insights on the topic and thanked the resource person for sharing her resourceful ideas.

51 students of undergraduate and post graduate classes and faculty members of the PG Department of Commerce and Management attended the program. The workshop served as a knowledgeable and learning experience for students, that gave guidance and deep insights about entrepreneurship that will help them excel in their lives and attain their goals.