Entrepreneurial opportunity in adversity highlighted by experts at  webinar organized by Amity University

A webinar on ‘Innovation: Start-up Bid to Survive Covid-19’ was organized by Amity University to further its initiative of nurturing an entrepreneurial ecosystem. Moving in line with the thought of Hon’ble Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi to create an Atmanirbhar Bharat, the session was an initiative to further contribute towards the Start-Up India mission. A host of experts from a cross-section of segments enlightened students with their entrepreneurial journey and experiences & motivating them.   
Prof. (Dr.) Gurinder Singh, Group Vice Chancellor Amity Universities welcomed the panelists and shared that many of the students are feeling stressed & unsure of their future. He added that their lives have changed and are inundated with a lot of questions clouding their mind about their career and placements. He added that while some sectors are facing the crunch, there are others that are flourishing. He averred that with the focus of NEP on creating skilled citizens of the future, the experts present in the webinar could guide the students while sharing their experiences.  

Mr. Sachid Madan, Chief Executive Fresh F&V and Frozen Food at ITC Limited stated that the frozen snacks business began in April 2018 that had low penetration as processed food has a consumer perception of being lower in nutrition. Their marketing initiatives focused at removing this consumer mindset with their frozen range innovating while moving from western to Indian. He added that the lockdown created lot of confusion and hoarding & pantry loading of essentials as people feared disruption in supplies. He averred that they followed the saying of ‘Never waste a Crisis’ and ‘Necessity is the mother of all inventions’ while formulating the survival strategy of the business. He averred that the organization launched 8 new products during the pandemic. 

Mr. Pankaj Mathur, Co-founder & President CogniTensor Technology Pvt. Ltd shared that students should think through and identify what sector will rule the future and accordingly make their career choice. He suggested that before getting onto entrepreneurship, students need to understand what they are getting into, does it have a future and should be their passion to transfer it into their dreams. Talking about his organization, that is AI-driven, he shared his professional journey and how democratizing Data is a game changer. He averred that business is all about managing uncertainty and how AI allows to do this effectively. Mr. Mathur also added that there is a bright future for AI indication towards an Intelligence Era and how it was imperative for businesses to adapt & close skill gaps. He further shared that while the effects of the pandemic are still unknown, history has indicated that some industries have done better. And this should be helpful for students to identify the sector their entrepreneurial journey would begin in. He called for looking at the opportunities being provided by the pandemic rather than feeling upset about what’s happened.  

Ms. Jasmeet Kaur, CEO Uniglobe MKOV Travel & Unicash stated that the millennial generation is quick to adapt to the changing scenario. She suggested students to think out of the box and establish their own start-ups as they can bring an idea to life, think big, unleash their creativity, and build their institution. She also added that creating a start-up will give them an opportunity to work in an awesome atmosphere full of proud moments. She also talked about her business journey of establishing Unicash that allows users to earn cashback from online shopping. She further shared how the organization with their association with several educational institutions allowed their students to pursue online internships.  

Mr. Avelo Roy, MD, Kolkata Ventures, Director of ECE Engineering Pvt Ltd shared a step-by-step guide to building a multi-billion-dollar business. He stated that to be an entrepreneur one doesn’t need to know everything but have the idea in place and hire the right people to execute it. He added that it’s a good time for start-ups, especially for those who have been able to align themselves with the pandemic. He asked students to begin their start-up journey from college itself and make use of the alumni network and the support around. He averred that small everyday changes make the start-up sustainable & they should focus on a problem to figure out their start-up idea and make things that people want. He called for making customers, investors brag about the start-up. 

Mr. Vaibhav Pitale, Managing Director India and southwest Asia Belimo Actuators India Pvt. Ltd talked asked students to be focused and pragmatic; never stop learning; invest time & energy and continuously upgrade their skills and of their team. He asked them to challenge their mindsets and get out of the comfort zone to succeed. He stressed that digitalization, automation, and sustainability are the segments with huge opportunities along with healthcare, especially mental health.  
The session was well-attended by students, faculty, and members from the corporate world.