Encouraging students for entrepreneurship in the under-graduation level allows them to develop and enhance skills such as creative thinking, problem-solving ability and time management, among others, says Prof Dr C Karthikeyan
Business models across the world have changed and the expectations of the customers' expectations, be it service or products, the ever increasing expectations to run business is getting tougher. With the change in the models, the opportunities to start ups and run business with support of other resources with combination of technology is ubiquitous. The opportunities to raise capital funding and advisory services are almost aplenty.
Hence the shift in the paradigm of business environment has undergone a massive transformation in recent years. This transformation has changed the perspective of our nation regarding various things including the approach we have towards developing students for the challenges thrown at the Indian Economy and Prosperity. Earlier, we concentrated on building job-ready students so that they can strengthen the economy.
However, this notion has changed in recent years. Nowadays, we as a nation are more focused on developing students who can create job opportunities; students who can not only strengthen the economy but can also take our country towards development. Therefore, entrepreneurship should be encouraged among students right from undergraduate degree education.
But, why should entrepreneurship encourage among students right from undergraduate courses?
The best platform to inculcate the qualities of entrepreneur is the undergraduate degree education, and enhancing interest and exposure to the opportunities of being an entrepreneur and helping them to develope basic entrepreneurial skills can give a strong foundation for students. It prepares the student for the journey ahead of them. Encouraging students for entrepreneurship in the under-graduation level allows them to develop and enhance skills such as creative thinking, problem-solving ability, problem identification ability, time management, among others.
All these skills enable students to climb the ladder of success quickly. Moreover, these skills also prove beneficial in personal development. Therefore, in recent years colleges are encouraging entrepreneurship through courses such as BBA.
How is BBA suitable to foster entrepreneurial spirit as well as appropriate skills?
BBA is a professional degree programme has the potential to expose various business concepts that are basic requirements to start a business on own, as well as the basic skills of accounting and finance, which are indispensible to be an entrepreneur. It is also opening up chances to meet real life enterepreneurs in the form of guest lectures to listen to their experience and learn fruitful lessons on the same. All the subjects of BBA together will assist students in acquiring business knowledge and management skills at an early stage. Furthermore, it also allows students to master in fields like finance, marketing, information systems, and international business.
The course is distributed in six semesters that spread across three years. Its curriculum is designed in a way that enables students to develop skills that are needed in the management career. The factors listed below establishes ways BBA is helping students to achieve their entrepreneurial goals.
The six semesters of the entire BBA curriculum has the potential to offer versatile nature. It provides students with an in-depth understanding of management concepts and its implementation in the business environment. BBA program not only provides the students with theoretical knowledge but also build them for practical applications of this knowledge through internships. The end of semester mini projects and specialisation project with viva presents ample opportunities to use creativity in completion of projects as well as presentation skills, alongside earning experience through internships.
The internship opportunity during college duration gives students an exposure to the work environment. Furthermore, allowing them to learn more about business practices. Along with it, they get a clear understanding of the domain they would like to pursue a career.
While at the pursuance of the course, many of the management colleges expose the students to special lectures in the form of entrepreneurship events, where in many real life entrepreneurs including the alumnus of the colleges who turn out to be a successful entrepreneur to share their experience in a common platform to encourage entrepreneurship among students. In conclusion, we can say that if one wants to open their own business or enhance their management skills to pursue a career in management, then BBA is the right choice for under-graduation.
The writer is Principal, T.John Institute of Management and Science
