Entrepreneurship Summit to Help Startups – Uttishtha ’21
Editor’s Note – Entrepreneurship Summit to Help Startups
We had written an introductory note about Uttishtha ’21, an entrepreneurship summit to help startups, conducted at IIM Kashipur. The Entrepreneurship cell of IIM Kashipur took a fascinating initiative to involve the youth, including school children. As the proud Digital Media Partner of this event, our team at FromTheExpertsMouth.com helped spread the good word, and now things come back full circle. Devishi, a school student, who attended the event, shares her thoughts and experiences at Uttishtha ’21, the entrepreneurship summit to help startups.
Uttishtha ’21 – An Opportunity for Learning
As a young teen, I am deeply fascinated by the world around and yearn for exposure. I especially desire to know about the functioning of national systems and the national economy. One of the biggest opportunities to quench this thirst came to me in the form of UTTISHTHA ‘21. It is the annual Entrepreneurship Summit to help startups and is organized by the esteemed Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Kashipur. One of the key aims of this seminar was to provide help for Start-ups. These startups will drive our country’s futuristic economy.
Uttishtha’21 – Entrepreneurship Summit to help Startups
The seminar was conducted online this year, due to the ongoing Pandemic. It commenced with the wise words of wisdom by Dr Kulbhushan Balooni, Director IIM Kashipur. He briefed the seminar attendees at the Entrepreneurship Summit to help startups about the significant role played by start-ups in the progress of an economy. He enumerated the major steps taken by the reputed institute to achieve its ambitious goals to incubate startups. The foremost initiative was the setting up of Foundation for Innovation & Entrepreneurship Development (FIED). It has been set up to nurture, incubate and strengthen the entrepreneurship ecosystem of India.
FIED to develop the startup ecosystem
The next honourable speaker to grace the prestigious seminar was the highly knowledgeable professor Dr Safal Batra. He is the Chairperson, E-Cell, and Managing Director, FIED. One of the most notable goals of FIED was to empower students across schools and colleges. It encourages youngsters to think of ground-breaking and world-changing ideas. They provide help to execute their ideas in the real world. What I found most beneficial was the Institute arranging everything required in one stop at this entrepreneurship summit to help startups. It was a summit with a panel of experts guiding the students in getting opinions, grants, assistance with filing patents etc.
Innovation, Education and Entrepreneurship
Dr Abhay Jere, Chief Innovation Officer, Ministry of Education was next to address the gathering. He enlightened us about the scenario in which India currently finds itself. It was surely not pleasing to know that Indians hardly file any patents annually. Most of the patents out of the very few that are filed in India are in-fact filed by Non Resident Indians. The biggest question was as to what has been keeping us from matching the competence level of China? China has become a start-up generating machine.
You can find a way out only if you know and understand the constraints on the path. I realized from this talk that we don’t lack expertise as a country. We lack an environment and a will to initiate and nurture start-ups. Dr. Jere provided valuable insights into many cases and how the potential and ambitions of college students got crippled.
One of the most fundamental points quoted by him concerned the need to learn from failed entrepreneurs. We mostly focus on learning only from the successful ones. Those who get success aren’t able to lead others on to the path of success as compared to those who have failed. Those who fail, obtain invaluable insights about what is not to be done.
Founders share their insights to help startups
The founders Ms Sujata Biswas and Ms Taniya Biswas of the popular fashion brand, “SUTA” followed next. Their success story is one of faith and fire. Their long but beautiful journey ignited a spark of entrepreneurship in me too. Faith in oneself and the fire in the belly to get things done make you unstoppable. They answered many questions of the attendees. They gave some great tips that would help in becoming an entrepreneur and achieving milestones.
The parents of the SUTA founders did not support them initially. Their family considered business to be a risk-prone option and favoured a stable job over it. This lack of support, however, did not demoralize them. They established a small business and hired a small team of close associates, to begin with.
Helpful tips on how to build a successful startup
The key to their success was hiring a very cooperative team whose members were quite competent at their jobs. An effective risk assessment system and knowing where to stop further accelerated the pace of their progress. Knowledge of the prevailing trends and tastes in the market also played an instrumental role. I found great inspiration in their story.
A valuable suggestion given by them was to analyze your failures. One should be able to judge what went wrong and how the damage can be repaired. Sheer commitment and the right course of action got these businesswomen the support of their parents. It also transformed their enterprise into one of India’s biggest names in the fashion industry.
Children at the Entrepreneurship Summit to help Start-ups
Several other gems shared their wisdom at Uttishtha ’21. They laid special emphasis on promoting the start-ups of not only college students, but also of school students. I was thrilled to know that people as young as me also have the potential of contributing to the economy.
I got amazing exposure, which is truly beyond words, at this fantabulous gathering. Uttishtha is indeed a great step taken by the esteemed IIM Kashipur to cherish young minds and nurture their ideas. This entrepreneurship summit to help startups will go a long way in helping us realize our potential, and leading to set up magnificent start-ups.
Children of a country and start-ups are the backbone of its future progress, after all!
Editor’s Note:
If you enjoyed reading this article you may also want to read about lessons learnt from the pandemic – a 5 steps ready reckoner on How to Avoid Crisis in Business in future. You may also want to read My Journey Through MUNs by Devishi that takes us through her journey of participating in MUNs and her progressive learning therefrom.
About the author
Devishi Aggarwal is an Indian teenager who enjoys writing and blogging. She is passionate about history and literature. In her free time she may be found reading and surfing the web.
Devishi also loves debating and public speaking. She is enthusiastic about participating in both academic and co-curricular inter-school events, particularly in Model United Nations.
Very well written !
God bless you..
Thank you so much!
Good observation and nicely expressed.
All the best for future.
Many thanks.
Written with depth and summarizes summit very well congratulations! All the best for future
Heartiest thanks for the praise!
A comprehensive and thoughtful write up .
While you are keen to understand National Systems and Economy ; do add here process : an important aspect to improve both efficiency and effectiveness.
Non standardised education System , being a State Subject is a bottleneck that needs to be taken care of . Every Tom dick Gov’t organisation irrespective of it’s role , opens up a school .
Except for few forward looking Schools , less attention is paid to enhance and encourage students to strengthen their traits such as , initiative , foresight , competitive spirit , negotiating capabilities and above all a desire and determination to excell .
Thank you so much dadu for this encouragement. Thanks a lot for sharing such valuable insights!
Impressive …!!
Good explanation of seminar,providing all details regarding it..very well written..
Keep it up Deveshi…stay blessed and keep growing…!!
Thanks a lot!
I have gone through your write up more than a couple of times. What excite me the most is to observe that you have not missed out a single moment of summit and have listened to experts intently. Your point that start ups do not lack expertise but need to be provided environment, guidance and encouragement by expert agencies is good. Another point of involving failed entrepreneurs is good too. I thank you for sending me this piece of information. God bless you.
Thanks a million dadu, really keeps me going! Indeed, that was a highly insightful and informative summit.
Keep it up!! You always amuse me with the depth of thought you have and the efforts to take to be involved in the subject. All the best!
Mega thanks chachi! This motivation works like a fuel for me.
Intriguing. Very well written. Keep up the good work!
Thank you a lot!
Wonderfully captured.
Heartiest thanks Sheetal!
Great summary! It was like I was attending the summit.
I was excited to read this article recently on how the world’s most popular startup incubator has the biggest batch of Indians this year. Truly inspirational ideas-
https://techcrunch.com/2021/03/23/y-combinators-new-batch-features-its-largest-group-of-indian-startups/
Imho, the biggest challenge of a startup is what to do after it’s started up. In other words- how to sustain.
Early education in India needs to include projects where students build something, get feedback from target audience and rebuild. This is an over-simplified workflow of a startup, but helps children in developing skills in teamwork, communication and empathy.
Thanks a bunch chachu!
Thank you for sharing that link, it was a great read. That’s very well said, the ability to sustain startups is truly a must.
A good read for those who could not attend the summit. Appreciate you taking it time and summarizing it so well for everyone
Thank you so much!
This seems like a great summit.. a must attend for young adults like you! Am glad that those who couldn’t attend can read about it through you.. Devishi, you have summarised it so beautifully.. I really enjoyed reading it.
Extremely grateful to you bua for all this praise, it simply keeps me going!
Devishi!!! This is beautifully written. The experiences shared at the summit by the established startups as well as the role of young adults as future entrepreneurs is very well captured. Keep it up…
Thanks a ton chachu, means a great deal to me!
Very nice and innovative. keep it up in future.
Thank you so much!
Devishi, you have always impressed me with your thoughts and writting skills. You have a long way to go Girl. All the best
Highly grateful to you bua for this encouragement!
Excellent piece of information.
Very well written with great use of subtle vocabulary.
Keep going Devishi.
God bless you.
Heartiest thanks mom!
Very nice.keep it up
Thanks!
Wow great
Thank you so much dadi!
Students are great innovators. Now a days, it’s the youngsters who are showing the way. Hope you become an entrepreneur.
All the best.
Many thanks bua, these well wishes mean a lot to me!
It’s truly an astounding article , very nicely written Devishi.
Thanks a trillion dear friend, means a lot!
Very nice effort as usual…. you achieve your goal very soon… Vishi all the best ….
Do hard get best…
Thanks ever so much!
Very nice devishi
Gracias mami!
The article is beautifully written and it describes the summit very well.
Heartiest thank you Ishita!
The article is beautifully written. It describes the summit very well.
Thanks a lot!
Extremely glad to read this blog. It was fascinating to learn about this summit.
Highly grateful to you Prisha!
Wow. The event seemed to come live while reading. Thanks for writing and sharing.
Thanks a million, great to read this!
Nice article. I like how you call out the importance of risk reduction strategies – many big companies ignore the importance of risk management with serious consequences for their business. I think it great that kids can get an early exposure to these kinds of lessons to take into adulthood.
Thanks a lot for this appreciation, all that’s so true!
Beautifully articulated and so very well said “Children of a country and start-ups are the backbone of its future progress, after all!”. So inspirational. Kudos!
Heartiest thank you bua, means a great deal!
Nice article. This is a good summary of the event. I think a lot of people underestimate the effectiveness of risk reduction strategies in projects as you call out. It’s is certainly useful for kids to be exposed to such ideas to take with them into adulthood.
Many thanks uncle. All that’s so true.
Very good Devishi. Keep it up.
Thank you a lot 🙂
Nice thoughts Devishi
Thank you a lot Papa.