13 December, 2024
IIM Calcutta Innovation Park successfully conducted the Strategic Leadership in Entrepreneurship Development program for State Project Managers (SPMs) of various State Rural Livelihood Missions (SRLMs) across India. Held in two batches, from November 4–6, 2024 (Batch A) and December 9–11, 2024 (Batch B), the program brought together over 60 officials. The initiative aimed to equip participants with the skills and perspectives needed to transition from regulatory roles to proactive enablers of rural entrepreneurship.
The program was designed to foster leadership competencies crucial for nurturing rural enterprises in both farm and non-farm sectors. These enterprises, by leveraging local resources, act as catalysts for sustainable socio-economic growth, employment generation and reducing migration. Through carefully curated sessions, the participants explored innovative frameworks and tools to support rural entrepreneurship, contributing to economic stability and development.
The three-day agenda of each batch included interactive workshops, group activities and case-based learning. Day one set the stage with sessions on rural economics, entrepreneurship basics and design thinking for problem-solving. Experts delved into macro and microeconomic dynamics in rural economies, the essentials of fostering entrepreneurial ecosystems and methodologies for market-driven innovation. Day two built upon these foundations with industry opportunity analysis, intervention planning and enterprise finance sessions. Participants examined strategies for value chain analysis, risk mitigation and collateral-free financing to empower rural enterprises and first-generation entrepreneurs. Each session was thoughtfully designed and delivered by distinguished mentors and industry experts, including Dr. Jawahar Surisetti (Advisor to Government, TED Speaker, Startup Mentor, and Bestselling Author), Prof. CD Mitra (Mentor & Advisor, IIMCIP|Founder-CEO, PipalMajik), Suman Mukhopadhyay (Director, banglanatak dot com), Dr. Pragyan Rath (Assistant Professor, IIM Calcutta), Proloy Majumder (Visiting Faculty of Finance, IIM Calcutta), Kaustav Majumder (Mentor, IIMCIP|CEO, ILS Network), Santanu Ghosh (Regional Manager, Paschim Banga Gramin Bank), and IIMCIP leaders such as Dr. Subhrangshu Sanyal, Debapratim Das, Gaurav Kapoor, Srinivas Gadhavilli, and Avijit Das.
For Batch 1, the agenda also included sessions on alternate sources of funding and rural product marketing and sales, facilitated by seasoned entrepreneurs of the country like Ramakrishna NK (Founder, Rang De), Abhik Roy (Founder, Andre Garcia Marketing) Subramanium Sastry (Co-Founder, Good Cause) and Bhanu Pratap Singh (Founder, North East Farm Sales Promotion).
The final day featured marketing and sales strategies for rural products, followed by group presentations. The program concluded with a valedictory session graced by Smt. Rajeshwari SM, Director, NRLM.
The program provided participants with a comprehensive understanding of the tools and strategies necessary for fostering rural entrepreneurship. With these insights, the SPMs are better prepared to facilitate enterprise creation, support sustainable business growth and drive inclusive economic development. IIMCIP remains steadfast in its commitment to initiatives that empower stakeholders and strengthen rural ecosystems.
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