Bhubaneshwar: The entrepreneurial climate in India is set to get a much needed impetus with the launch of an 'Entrepreneurship Week' from Saturday. The spirit of E Week is `We can. We will', according to the organizers. The Entrepreneurship Week, from February 24 to March 3, is an initiative of the National Entrepreneurship Network (NEN), a non-profit initiative working to inspire, educate and support new and future entrepreneurs in India.

Part of a global initiative, Entrepreneurship Week aims to bring several thousand citizens together to celebrate opportunities and explore the myriad ways in which the nation can improve the ecosystem for entrepreneurship in the country.

According to Executive Director of NEN Laura Parkin, India offers amazing opportunities for entrepreneurs today - at the same time, the culture and ecosystem still throw up tremendous barriers. `Entrepreneurship Week has been initiated as both a celebration and a call to action: a week during people come together to improve climate and the supports necessary for entrepreneurs success - inside companies, starting ventures, in government and academia.'

Entrepreneurship Week will open with two nationwide awareness campaigns aimed at getting the general public to think about entrepreneurship and their role in creating a favorable entrepreneurial climate. The `online contest' will invite one line answers to the question "What does entrepreneurship mean to you?" The `Pledge campaign' is expected to bring together 250,000 people to make at least ONE promise from the E Week Pledge list, to take an important step towards supporting entrepreneurial India. E Week partners including leading corporates, associations and over 160 academic institutes across 25 cities and towns have also planned a variety of activities to build on this momentum.