Frankly speaking, I had no idea what to expect of Indore. I had never visited the town before; I barely knew more than the basics. Thanks to history books, I knew that the region is dominated by the Marwahs, renowned for their business acumen. It was a small town, but had built an enviable reputation for itself - of being the Education Capital of Madhya Pradesh.
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| A student of Indore Public School Academy reads the E Week pledge |
I was curious to know - Did entrepreneurship meet education here to create a synergy, or did they collide?
Counsellor Tapti of Indore Public School Academy helps me with an interesting insight. According to her, the education boom is steering entrepreneurship in a new direction. Tapti believes that the 'City of Traders' is slowly transforming into a 'City of Entrepreneurs'. While the previous generation was content playing the middleman's role, the new generation wishes to be entrepreneurs in its truest sense - by being change agents, job creators, profit makers and innovators.
Agrees Ashok Chandra Gupta. Gupta is a hugely successful entrepreneur in the region, who had, way back in 1977, given up his plush job to start an ancillary unit in his garage. "Until only a few years ago, entrepreneurs entered the market with screwdrivers. Thanks to education, today's entrepreneurs are more technology and knowledge-driven. I believe this will change the face of the town," he told me over tea soon after inaugurating E-Week at the IPS campus.
Organizations like NEN will have a pivotal role to play in leading this transformation, by providing a platform for knowledge-sharing, creating an entrepreneur-friendly ecosystem and helping to channel the high energy of the town's youth. Looking at the excitement E Week has generated, I believe NEN has started to make a difference. But in this town of innumerable opportunities and immense possibilities, to adapt Robert Frost's wise words, there are miles to go before we sleep.
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