The ebullient advertisement man Prahlad Kakkar, who has donned many hats, including that of director, scuba diver, restaurateur and wine maker, feels most entrepreneurial courses in the country are MBA courses that teach students “how to be a good servant”. People who take risks, he says, are the ones who have come to terms with the greatest fears of their lives – the fear of failing and the fear of fear itself. “About 99% of all MBA students look for a good package after the course. Very few start something on their own. They are not taught to do that. This country needs more institutions that create entrepreneurs, not MBAs,” he told The Hindu during an interaction at the ‘Shakti Women Entrepreneurs Meet’ organised by the India SME Forum here on Friday.
The man, who is the creator of the popular ‘Dil maange more’ advertisement campaign for a fizzy drink, says, “Any idea is as good or as bad as your level of determination to make it work. It is having a passion that matters, however illogical it is, you just have to believe in yourself. When you are passionate about something two and two becomes 22, when you are logical about something two and two becomes four.”
Referring to his school of Branding and Entrepreneurship started last year in Mumbai, Mr. Kakkar says: “To all the students of my school I first told them to write a letter to their parents on the first day that after graduating they will not ask for a single paisa from them. Some parents get back to me with shock and ask why such an undertaking is being taken by the students. The main problem is parents don’t have confidence in their children even after educating them. If you think your child is a cripple, they themselves will think so too.”
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Speaking on women in entrepreneurial roles, Mr. Kakkar says women have a built-in strength to go against the odds and prove men wrong. “Women are way tougher than men mentally. They are ferocious in their loyalty and value system. Unlike men and institutions that look for Return On Investment in any venture, women focus on value system – a core element that builds a strong enterprise. The one single defining idea about women is their passion. That’s where they have an edge.
“Scuba diving has given me the greatest joy. I have brought up my children by the sea. The sea taught them much more than what I did. When I started the scuba diving enterprise in Lakshwadeep, it was a loss-making company from day one. I was doing something that nobody else had bothered to do. For 10 years we made losses and after that profits started coming in. It took me a decade to convince everyone in the country that diving was a great sport because people had an inherent fear of the ocean. Today scuba diving is one of the fastest growing sport.”
“To be able to be an entrepreneur you have to be free of fear. Institutions should address in removing that fear. Only when you take risks, you feel alive,” he signs off.
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