(Group Director- Welingkar Education Ltd)
Dr Uday Salunkhe, Group Director, Welingkar Institute speaking on the rationale behind the initiative said, “As it is very evident from the name Prayaas -2011 that it is an endeavour to help women who have put in all their efforts and lives to spread happiness in the lives of everyone around them. It is a tribute to the spirit of sacrifice of Indian women. We all have some latent talent inside. It needs only a bit of guidance and mentoring from experts to bring it out and let it bloom. Welingkar is just a medium for the same. And there could have been no other day as auspicious and befitting as Gandhi Jayanti. Welingkar has taken up similar ventures in past for example, WISE which stands for Women in Industry, Society and Economy and we got a fairly good response.
What do you say about Welingkar’s role in the initiative?
Welingkar has been of one of the premiere b -schools in the country. Our alumni are spread across the globe working at senior positions with highly reputed global organisations. As we have years of experience in mentoring and building business acumen and entrepreneurial skills we felt it would be great if we could extend the same expertise and support to these aspiring entrepreneurs.
Considering the fiercely competitive world we are living in, what do you say of the chances of overall success ?
Before embarking on any venture a team of experts would scrutinize it threadbare for its viability in all aspects. Also entrepreneurship is all about playing up your strengths to the hilt as you navigate through risks and work on your weakness. Many of the success stories which we see around started out very modestly and but are role models today.
Any message that you would like to share with the group of these aspiring entrepreneurs?
The ability to scan one’s environment and connect the same to oneself individually in terms of personality and business plays a very vital role in business. Equally important is the imagination correlated to one’s vision as that gives direction to one’s efforts. Self belief is another indispensable element in the making of successful entrepreneurs. It gives inspiration especially in the face of fierce competition. Perpetual optimism has to be ingrained in one’s mindset . Adding to the series of Imagination and Inspiration there is one more ‘I’ that denotes Innovation, which is going to be the game changer in the days to come. Innovation gives entrepreneurs a competitive edge over others .