Here’s some good news for those in West Bengal who intend to start a new trade or venture into business.
The state government is mulling over the idea of setting up finishing schools for entrepreneurs to provide counselling and guidance on how to start a new business.
The idea, mooted by Ashok Aikat, president of Bharat Chamber of Commerce, at core committee meeting on industries at Writers’ Buildings last week, will be discussed at the medium and small enterprises conclave to be held at Milan Mela complex in Kolkata between August 18 and August 22.
“West Bengal has no dearth of land or capital but Bengali youth, we believe, lack in entrepreneurship unlike Marwaris or Punjabis, who are known for their entrepreneurial skills and mostly get advice and business tips from their fathers and relatives already in business. There are many Bengali first generation entrepreneurs who need counselling on how to start a new business,” Aikat told The Indian Express.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is impressed and has sought the co-operation of the chambers of commerce and industrialists in turning it into a reality.
Aikat said she has demanded the proposal in writing. “She agreed with us on the issue of lack of entrepreneurship in Bengali youth and told us that she can provide land and other infrastructure for starting such schools. She also sought the opinion of industrialists such as Sanjiv Goenka on the issue. We are preparing a detailed project report and will submit it to the CM in a week’s time,” he added.
Partha Chatterjee, minister for commerce and industries, said the idea was an exciting one. “The issue was even referred to by S Gopalakrishnan, executive vice-chairman of Infosys, at a seminar organised by CII in Kolkata recently. We all liked the idea and it will definitely take shape. It will be discussed at the SME conclave,” Chatterjee said.
However, some sceptics argue that Bengalis, to certain extent, fear taking risks so far as venturing into business is concerned, and no counselling can imbibe the trait in their character. “For an average Bengali youth, a government job is the ultimate goal in life and he is averse to risk taking, essential to all business venture. I don’t believe anybody can be taught that in a school. What can be imparted is a training on procedures on how to start a business, where to get the forms from, where to go for loans and so on,” Abhiroop Sarker, chairman, West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation, and a renowned economist, told The Indian Express.
Though post independence, Bengal was the most industrialised state in India, the prosperity was not attributed to the entrepreneurship skills of Bengalis but to those of Marwaris, Punjabis and Gujaratis who had made Bengal their home.
Prafulla Chandra Ray, a renowned professor of chemistry who set up Bengal Chemicals, always encouraged Bengalis to start some business and turn into “job givers” instead of turning into ‘job seekers.’
