Tamil Nadu - Vellore   

Engineering students told to become entrepreneurs

Photo D. Gopalakrishnan

ASSISTANCE KIT: VIT University Chancellor G. Viswanathan (left) releasing a compact disc at an entrepreneurship awareness camp in Vellore on Thursday. R. Sundaravelu, CMD of Alchemy Biotech Private Ltd., Chennai, receives the first copy. G.V. Selvam, Pro-Chancellor-2, VITU, is also seen. —

VELLORE: R. Sundaravelu, Chairman and Managing Director of Alchemy Biotech Private Limited, Chennai, has called upon engineering students to seize all opportunities to become entrepreneurs.

He was inaugurating an entrepreneurship awareness camp organised by Vellore Institute of Technology-Technology Business Incubator (VIT-TBI) at the VIT University campus here on Thursday.

Mr. Sundaravelu said that when he wanted to start a business venture, there was no technology business incubator. “The only motivation for me came from my mother. But you have the TBI . Make good use of it,” he said.

Anyone with a right approach could start business. Citing the example of Infosys, he said, “Entrepreneurship does not come on a platter. You must have the dream, determination, proper planning and programming to start a business and succeed in it.”

With China and even smaller countries such as Bangladesh becoming competitors to India in Information Technology sector, there is tremendous scope for entrepreneurship in areas such as biotechnology and nanotechnology.

Presiding over the function, G. Viswanathan, Chancellor of VIT University, said that corruption and bureaucratic hurdles affect Foreign Direct Investment. If the political parties, politicians and parliamentarians cooperated with the Prime Minister, India could easily beat China in the manufacturing sector. FDI to the tune of $20 billion is expected in the IT sector, and of this 25 per cent is expected to come to Tamil Nadu.

India should not confine itself to the services sector but improve its contribution in the manufacturing sector. At present, the contribution of the manufacturing sector to the country’s Gross Domestic Product was just 20 per cent as against 50 per cent in China, he said.

Mr. Viswanathan said that five companies, with a total investment of more than Rs.one crore, have been started with the help of the VIT-TBI and they provide jobs to about 100 people. The VITU has permitted four of its faculty members to start business ventures. Earlier, Mr. Viswanathan released a ‘Start-Up Tool Kit’ compact disc.

Dr. Sundaravelu received the first copy.

G.V. Selvam, Pro-Chancellor-2, VITU, said that 10 students are provided a grant of Rs. 25,000 each every year to develop their ideas into successful business ventures.

A. Balachandran, Manager, VIT-TBI, welcomed the gathering. T.R. Natarajan, Marketing Executive, VIT-TBI, proposed a vote of thanks.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

New surgery to cure epilepsy in children
Engineering students told to become entrepreneurs
3 killed in accident

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu