Convocation Address of Padmashree Lila Poonawalla; Chief Guest for the 8^th Convocation of EDI's Post Graduate Programmes held on 29^th September 2006.

Successful entrepreneurship does not mean that you have to be an industrialist or have a small scale-manufacturing unit in town and cities, which are already bursting at the seams. Imagine the opportunities that lie if the 70% of India has only 10% more purchase power. Rural India really can provide a great challenge to entrepreneurship spirit. India can become the hub of agricultural produce for the world, in spite of feeding our own ever-growing population. This very population provides opportunities for those who have the vision.

Just imagine what are the opportunities existing in Rural India – educational institutions, hospitals, communication centres, canals, irrigation, roads, engineering goods, consumer goods, retail outlets, research centres and on and on. What I mention is only the tip of the iceberg. With development of rural India the population can be evenly distributed all over the vast Indian subcontinent, provided entrepreneurship is also well distributed. Time is ripe and is on the right side of the young enthusiastic educated Indian population to make a glorious India of the future.

I have therefore a message for the budding entrepreneurs of today and also of tomorrow.

While I urge young entrepreneurs to focus on development of rural India, one certainly needs to have Global business skills. Also aspirations, patriotism, excellence in execution and communication skills.

Continue..

©2008 This website designed and developed by Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, Ahmedabad