Celebrating young entrepreneurship

Updated on: Wednesday, February 15, 2012

VLB Janakiammal College in Coimbatore bustled with activity over the course of an enterprising E-Week conducted by the students of its entrepreneurship club ‘SRISHTie’.

Organised by the National Entrepreneurship Network (NEN) across 800 colleges in India, the annual fest focuses on celebrating young business minds with events themed to current issues like ‘Go Green’, ‘India’s Opportunity Within’ and ‘Invent the Future’.

Having finished as National runners-up the last three years, SRISHTie was determined to make a bid for the title this time around, with the 40-odd members and volunteers headed by their E-leaders going all out to make an impact.

“Our club is a social entrepreneurship advent, one that hopes to develop the community — we’ve been recognised for this right from the outset. We must thank Vijayalakshmi Menon for having founded the club four years ago.

This year’s activities are sure to have everyone take note of us. We have organised a rally with around 500 students against child labour, a city-wise poll on methods to reform the education system in India (which will be later submitted to the HR Minister of India), guest lectures and seminars, a free medical work-shop, entrepreneurs from Coimbatore coming in to address the college students — the list goes on. Getting sponsors, learning to tackle the management, organising the fest — great prep for my career!” remarks Subodh Srivastava, SRISHTie president and BBM student.

Not wanting to make the fest an out-and-out serious affair, cultural contests featuring solo music, instrumental, dance, a band event (that saw the city’s rockers yell it out), and Remo Bike (a bike remodeling activity for speed enthusiasts) were also organised to add colour to the week.

“We split up into different teams such as marketing, PRO, tech, photography etc, in order to ensure that we left no stone unturned. I was in charge of the documentation section and it was a nerve-wracking but satisfying experience.

I particularly enjoyed our visit to the orphanages and interacting with children during our rural development initiative. Also, the Red Cross and the breast and cervical cancer awareness program conducted by professional doctors were highly informative,” says Rinsu Mathew, a BCA student and E-member.

Overall, it was a week to remember — for igniting young minds, as Kapileshwar Kumar from Bihar, currently a VLB student and E-leader, says, “It was a wonderful experience and I was happy to be a part of it.

The students were given creative license and I ended up setting up a food stall with dishes like biryani, chola batura and fruit salad that I made myself! It has inspired me to not only search for the job I want, but to even start my own business as I’m well-equipped to do so.”

Seminar

Pearl Academy of Fashion organised ‘Retail Connect 2012’, a seminar which witnessed the participation of educationists like principals, deans and faculty members from leading colleges in and around Chennai, along with retail industry experts, who deliberated on the current trends in the fashion industry and the future placements opportunities.

S. Balasubramaniam, chairman, City Union Bank Ltd graced the occasion as the chief guest at the event that was held at The Aruna Chennai Sterling Road.

Convocation

The department of business economics of D.G. Vaishnav College organised their valedictory function, ‘Fusion 2012’. R. Bhagya Devi, regional director of Southern region staff selection commission was the chief guest.

P. Haridas, the secretary of the college who presided over the event was only too proud of his students and staff. The chief guest presented an inspiring speech, which enthralled the students. The valedictory function was held on February 12.

Going green

As a precursor to Beacon’12, students of Loyola Institute of Business Administration (LIBA) initiated a campus greening move called ‘Trees for Tomorrow’. It was also a way of staying connected with their Alma mater, as the seniors would plant a sapling and the juniors would take care of it.

Just as LIBA offers an enriching environment, nurturing and enabling students to bloom, by planting a sapling and taking care of it, students can leave behind a legacy they can come back to. In support of the initiative all the faculties in LIBA also planted a sapling making the campus greener.

Celebrating young entrepreneurship

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