An Opportunity for Growth: Professor Pulino Advocates Entrepreneurship in India
Business Administration Professor and Director of the JCU Institute for Entrepreneurship, Silvia Pulino, participated as invited speaker in “Educate to Innovate 1.0”, a conference to promote the start-up ecosystem within Technical Universities and Colleges in India. This event, organized and promoted by the Engineering Staff College of India (ESCI) on July 27-28-29 in Hyderabad, is the first of its kind in the country.
Prof. Pulino and Mr. Kameshwar Eranki, Founder and CEO, Vajra Soft Inc; Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary to Government, Information Technology, Electronics and Communications Department, Government of Telangana; Brig. A. Umar Farook, VSM (Retd), Director ESCI; Dr K. R. Maalathi, CEO Auuro Educational Services; Ms. Apoorva Anand Conjeevaram, Co-founder Wordict IP India and Fermat IP Italy; Mr. Ashok Ram Kumar, Patent Attorney Wordict IP India and Fermat IP Italy
The three-day conference, which included panel discussions, presentations, workshops, and startup pitches, revolved around the pressing need to first build and then scale a network of new entrepreneurs throughout India, leveraging the existing strength in technology and science. The initiative supports the “Startup India” program recently announced by the Prime Minister as a means to ensure sustained economic growth. India has around 3,500 engineering colleges, with about one million engineers graduating every year. Yet, only a small percentage of these graduates enter the engineering profession, and even fewer become entrepreneurs.
Prof. Pulino was invited to share her experience of building a center for entrepreneurship from scratch. During her presentation she led the audience through the process of conducting an environmental audit, showing how the external and internal circumstances specific to an individual organization shape the mission, vision and strategy for an entrepreneurial center. She emphasized the importance of crafting a mission statement that furthers the wider institutional mission, of creating a sustainable eco-system, and building a supportive community that involves all shareholders.
Throughout the conference she met government officials, international Intellectual Property experts, professors and students from some 20 universities from seven different states, and representatives from the school system, as well as young social entrepreneurs already on the way to a successful future.
“This visit has left a deep and lasting mark,” comments Prof. Pulino. “The scale of the challenges faced in this country is overwhelming, but the intellectual talent creates also a unique opportunity for revolutionary growth. If the energy, dedication and aspiration I have witnessed over the weekend is an indication to go by, then I expect to see a profound transformation in the Indian entrepreneurial landscape over the next ten years.”
Prof. Pulino is also confident that this first visit can lead to enriching collaborative opportunities between John Cabot University and the Engineering Staff College of India.
ESCI is an autonomous organ of India’s largest body of professional engineers ‘The Institution of Engineers (India)’. ESCI was established in the year 1981 with the mandate of providing quality training and education in engineering and techno-management domains. Thanks to the initiative of Er. Sai Kishore. P, Head (FDP Cell), ESCI, and to the support of Brig. A. Umar Farook, VSM (Retd), Director, ESCI is poised to become the spearhead of entrepreneurship in India.
