In an evolving educational landscape, engineering institutes in India are increasingly emphasising entrepreneurship, steering students towards becoming job creators rather than mere job seekers. Experts from prestigious institutions recently shared their insights on how this shift is being integrated into the curriculum, at BW Education Excellence Conclave held at New Delhi on 27 August 2024.
Prof Manindra Agrawal, Director, IIT Kanpur, highlighted the necessity for a stronger focus on entrepreneurship within engineering programmes. "There needs to be more focus on the entrepreneurship side. Currently, a large fraction of our students are going for jobs in the corporate world. We need to reorient many of their views to come up with new ideas, develop them and do a startup," he explained. Agrawal stressed the importance of curriculum reforms that not only introduce entrepreneurship courses but also encourage students to develop ideas and build prototypes as part of their academic journey.
Aligning with this sentiment, Prof A Thillai Rajan, Department of Management Studies, IIT Madras, pointed out the relatively small percentage of students who venture into entrepreneurship, even in advanced economies like the United States. "If you look at it, among a large majority of students, the people who would be pursuing entrepreneurship is going to be a very small percentage. Even if you look at advanced economies like the US, it’s a highly, you know, 5 per cent to 10 per cent off from the campus," he observed. However, Prof Rajan emphasised that while not all students may become entrepreneurs, they can all develop an entrepreneurial spirit. "In my view, 100 per cent of the students can become entrepreneurial. Entrepreneurial means the ability to take initiative, be innovative and take risks."
Prof KK Pant, Director, IIT Roorkee, elaborated on the initiatives taken by his institute to foster an entrepreneurial mindset from the early stages of education. "When you look at the students during the first and second years, they have been asked to visit nearby local industries, MSMEs, interact with entrepreneurs and alumni who are already in top positions or have their startups," he shared. Prof Pant also highlighted the interdisciplinary nature of the current curriculum, which integrates science, technology, engineering, mathematics and management, with tools like AI and MSD playing a crucial role. "This holistic approach is aimed at developing a well-rounded entrepreneurial mindset," he added.
The shift towards entrepreneurship in engineering education signifies a broader transformation, where students are equipped not just with technical skills but also with the mindset and tools needed to innovate, take risks and ultimately create jobs.
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