IIM Calcutta Conducts Two-Day Workshop on Entrepreneurship 'Ascent 07'

IIM Calcutta Conducts Two-Day Workshop on Entrepreneurship 'Ascent 07'

"We are going to die and take nothing with us - it's not how much we earn, but how we do with what we earn? Lead an interesting, enriching life - follow your heart's diktat, not those of your peers, family or the market."

- Mahesh Murhty
at Ascent '07, IIM-C

These words could well capture the spirit of the learning participants of Ascent '07 would carry back home. Ascent '07 turned out to be what it had promised: an A-Z Workshop experience in entrepreneurship with discussions on a gamut of issues related to starting-up.

The 2-day session featured a 'been there-done that' tribe of entrepreneurs as speakers from different businesses. Held by Entrepreneurship Cell of IIM Calcutta, in collaboration with National Entrepreneurship Network (NEN) and The Indus Valley Entrepreneurs (TiE), the workshop saw close to 200 participants which included students from Pilani, Pune and different educational institutions across the state, working professionals, prominent faculty from IIM Calcutta and other B-schools, in-house students and even two people from the armed forces.

As Laura Parkin, Executive Director, NEN. noted, "The NEN IIMC Ascent '07 is a great example of how academia is equipping young people to make the most of opportunities today, by bringing together experts and students. We're also delighted to see that this event has become a networking platform for the students of the different NEN members in Kolkata. Connecting these young people of different backgrounds is a critical step towards building a vibrant and supportive ecosystem for the next generation of entrepreneurs."

The focus was on understanding some of the typical issues and problems which any budding entrepreneur has to face while starting up. Sourcing of funds was the topic of the much admired session by Mr. Mahesh Murthy on 'Entrepreneurship, Business Plans and Funding'. His informal and understated humour cut well with the audience as he talked about the trials and tribulations of an entrepreneur; motivation for the same; the option of secure jobs as against starting up. How to arrange for Venture Capitalists to fund the venture apart from leveraging their networking, and the criticality of having a superior product/service offering, were the salient points pointed out in the session.

Adding glamour to the event was the talk by eminent ad-man, restaurateur, cigar-maker and much more, Mr. Prahlad Kakkar, who talked about the importance of following one's innermost dreams and instincts with sincerity and dedication. His brand of humour and take on a wide variety of things made the session a major hit among all present.

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Contributed by -
Vijay Anand Menon,
External Relations Secretary,
IIM, Calcutta.

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