IIM Lucknow Launches "Drona" - Entrepreneur Mentorship and Advisory Platform for Entrepreneurs

IIM Lucknow Launches "Drona" - Entrepreneur Mentorship and Advisory Platform for Entrepreneurs

For a traveler, there are no roads. Roads are made by walking. This famous Spanish proverb tells it all and Abhiyan, the E cell of IIM Lucknow is supporting these lone travelers get their compass right.

Abhiyan has recently launched Drona - a platform for early stage startups and prospective entrepreneurs to seek expert advice and long term mentorship. The platform is being envisioned as a place for entrepreneurs to seek guidance for their strategic decisions, be it regarding raising finances, assessing market potential, marketing, driving operational excellence, assessing business risks or embracing business models.

Since January, Drona has been expanding its advisory network consisting of successful entrepreneurs, investors, academicians, and consultants catering to a broad range of sectors - IT & ITES, Knowledge Management, Technology Advertising, Logistics, Telecommunications, Media, Energy, Agribusiness, Food Processing, Health Care, Retail, Internet, Financial Services and Human Resource Management.

Most of the organizations supporting entrepreneurship have relied on events, Q&A, online portals etc to share knowledge and expertise with entrepreneurs. Drona would compliment these efforts by providing a long term perspective to entrepreneurial guidance by providing access to continuous support from the same mentor throughout the strategy formulation and implementation stages.

The importance of mentors cannot be over emphasized. To quote Mr. Adiya Mishra, co-founder of Headstart Network foundation, "An advisor is usually far ahead on the learning curve or on a different learning curve. Thus the biggest advantage for the entrepreneur is to benefit from the experience without having to spend the same amount of time and without making the same mistake."

Entrepreneurs can now get answers for such questions as "I am interested in starting a floriculture business and need guidance in how to perform a feasibility study" or "I have started a small venture and would now want to expand it, I need guidance in funding the expansion" and the Drona platform will support them in getting expert advice and continuous mentoring. Being a long term relationship helps the mentors in better understanding the needs of the startup / entrepreneur rather than providing "generic" solutions and mentees benefit from the trusted relationship.

Head of Executive board for Drona: Dr. Abhishek Nirjar, IIM Lucknow

Board Members of Drona

Ashwini Kumar, VP Credit Suisse

Shailesh Vikram Singh, Director Investments – 2i Capital

Aditya Mishra, Co Founder Headstart Network Foundation

Dr. Bharat Bhasker, Former Dean, IIM Lucknow

Dr. Ashwani Kumar, Associate Professor, IIM Lucknow

Venkatesh Sarvasiddi, Lead for Partner & Audience marketing engagements, Microsoft

Dr. Vinod Karnik, Head, Sygnet Consultants

Concluded.

Contributed by -
Manish Dev,
Media Relations Committee,
IIM Lucknow.

MBA Alumni \| MBA Students \| MBA Aspirants \| MBA Forums