Madurai :

Entrepreneurship is the buzz word in many engineering colleges in Madurai and a few colleges in the southern districts, thanks to the improving awareness among students and authorities. Other reasons are the incubation environment provided by non-profit organisations and angel investors’ network that are increasingly encouraging students to become entrepreneurs. Authorities of colleges say the decreasing number of companies and intake numbers in campus recruitment also encourage students to think about starting their own companies.

For instance, around 20% of the students in Pandian Saraswathi Yadav Engineering College are involved in developing their own ideas of a start-up. Over the last two years, a large number of students have taken to developing their own business ideas. They are inspired by their seniors who have already proved to be successful entrepreneurs. Many students get ready with their business ideas by the time they complete their course.

S P Varadarajan, managing director of the college said, “Engineering students from this region lack communication and soft skills which are needed to get selected in campus recruitment. But the students are sincere and hardworking. They are good at developing ideas. The on-campus recruitment in the last two years was also not encouraging. The support of agencies like Native Lead helps students take up entrepreneurship. In fact, 20% of our students want to start their own business.”

Similarly, many colleges help the students by setting up entrepreneurship development and incubation cells. Organisations like Indian Angel Network which provides financial support for sound business ideas and agencies have come as a boon for them.

N Suresh Kumar, principal, Velammal College of Engineering and Technology said, “Many of our students are into developing business ideas. Some of the ideas are in the final stages of starting up into a business. The students are willing to innovate and convert them into start ups. However, very few students receive support from their families. In our college, we have a centre for innovation and product development which helps the students.”

“There is a lot of sore scope in the southern districts. More colleges can come forward to encourage the students,” said R Sivarajah of Native Lead.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Madurai / by Devanathan Veerappan, TNN / September 06th, 2014