Many might think that entrepreneurship does not count as a stable job or does not even qualify as a well-paying one. But some of them think out of the box and make it big. Here are some of the passionate student entrepreneurs of Bangalore, who started out young and have already made a name for themselves in their respective fields.
However they told The Hindu EducationPlus that there is a need to pursue their dream with perseverance after they act upon their initial brain wave. Apart from that, most student entrepreneurs feel that juggling studies and work can be quite an uphill task.
Nitesh Dhull, B.Com thirdyear, Christ University, founder of the NGO Baba Mastnath
Coping with studies along with entrepreneurship is a challenge but if a student has a passion to do something, it would be easy for him to balance both. All one needs to do is cut down on leisure time and rather than wasting weekends and holidays for relaxation, one can invest this time fruitfully in pursuing one's passion. Students get to experience the practical aspect of what they study and also learn to survive the competition by becoming young entrepreneurs. I feel that student entrepreneurship should be encouraged, right at the college level, as this would act as a base for further development.
Mithun Kumar Muddan, BCA firstyear, SJR Arts, Science and Commerce College, founder of Skylabs
Finding a solution for the real problem in my dorm room resulted in our venture of web technology-based solutions. An entrepreneur is essentially a visualiser and a self-actualiser.
He can visualise something, and when he visualises it he sees exactly how to make it happen. If you believe in your idea and have the ability to make it happen, it is important to be like a student, learn every day and implement that in your business.
Pradeep Raj, BA third year, MES College, Retail Business
Balancing work and studies is very important. We need to know how to handle things and we have to give enough time to work as well as study. It is important for a student entrepreneur to be confident. He should be street smart and learn to ask the right questions on when, where and how to perform.
Varun Meghani, BBM final year, St. Joseph's College of Commerce, Co-founder of Alchemy Store
Balancing work and study is an uphill task. Soon after college we head to our factory and then to different parts of the city as per our schedule of meetings. Studies have definitely taken a back seat but the real learning experience lies outside the four walls and is worth a shot. Setting up a business is not rocket science but you need to ensure that you take it forward.
Aman Jain, BBM final year, St. Joseph's College of Commerce, Co- founder of Alchemy Store
Initially we did face a lot of problems in our entrepreneurial venture. But learning came from the practical experience we gained from our project. This experience was much more than what we could gain from our lecturers and text books.
Sonali Gaddam, B.Com, Mount Carmel College (graduated in 2011), CEO of V'Spell Consultancy
Student entrepreneurs must strive to balance their academics and extra-curricular activities while at college. When I was a student I was a consistent distinction holder in all my semesters and simultaneously managed a student venture for three years at Mount Carmel College as its managing director. It is all about realising your true potential right from the very beginning of your graduation days. Capitalising on those strengths could make all the difference at the time of passing out.
For example, after running a venture and handling all the possible complexities that arose during the tenure, I was determined that I would not take up any MNC job as that was something that least interested me. Hence I decided to work in a similar atmosphere like running or managing a start-up and I took up a job with a start-up where I handled the entire business development operations for little more than a year. And as I gained industry exposure I got the chance to kick off with my own venture today.
