'India's small farmers, street vendors exhibit entrepreneurship'

Kolkata: Bibek Debroy, Chairman of the Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council, said on Friday that India's small farmers and street vendors are exhibiting far more entrepreneurship than the country's corporate sector.

"Entrepreneurship cannot be taught but skills can be taught. Let me remind you that the poor vendors on the streets of India are Exhibiting far more entrepreneurship than the Indian corporate sector does," he said while addressing the Sixth Convocation of IMI-Kolkata.

He maintained that one cannot encourage entrepreneurship without encouraging failure."We all think of successes of entrepreneurship. 95 percent of entrepreneurial attempts failed," he said.

Debroy, who is also a member of NITI Aayog, stressed upon the need for providing a suitable environment for entrepreneurship by the education institutes across the country. "There is a huge question mark on whether Indian education system provides enabling environment for entrepreneurship," the economist said. He spoke of his prolonged association with the IMI, mentioning its growth "from a seed to a mighty sapling".

He also said: "Students must understand the importance of failure as they strive to carve a space for their own selves" and reminded them of the necessity of giving back to society.

"Schemes like Start Up India, SMART cities Mission are attempts of the government to include citizens in making a better country. India will change because of its citizens," he maintained.

Around 120 students of the Institute's PGDM Programme graduated at the Annual Convocation.

Interestingly, this year the three outstanding IMI-Kolkata achievers are women. While Sagnika Dutta received the Gold Medal in Academics, Yamini Gupta was awarded for her all-round

performance.

The IMI-Kolkata campus in Alipore, spread over nearly an area of 3-acre, was established in 2010 to provide significant opportunities to learn, grow and develop multiple skills across various disciplines of Management.