Friday, February 15, 2008

1 minute in planning is 10 minutes saving in execution ?

Fifth year plan is a system, originally invented by former USSR, were a series of centralized exercise, are done for rapid economic development. India has implemented this planning process, after its freedom, and we are going through XI five year plan (2007-2012).
There is a lot of debate on whether these five-year plans, and their benefit, could be trickled-down to the people of India, on the level of execution.

At least, it could be on the level of saving time. Think the situation we would be facing in executing any national development projects, on a nation as big as India, without a proper planning process.

Isn’t it, 1 minute in planning is 10 minutes saving in execution?

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Should we educate to Plan or Plan to Educate?

A Thiagarajan, Deputy Chief operating officer of a MNC bank, and an Independent writer (http://www.boloji.com/writers/athiagarajan.htm) have some interesting insights, on the AIL Daily wisdom topic ‘Do need education on planning’ ?. I am, quoting his response below.

“Yes, we do need education in planning to change the misconception about what a plan is: I am quite convinced about it. My 35 years experience in the banking sector confirms this. About 30 years ago, when I was looking into SSI sector as a field officer, an appraiser and as a manger, it was obvious. This is proved by the thriving business of consultants. We also saw some initiatives by banks - where institutions like IIT subsequent to which the banks helped with the non_technical aspects evaluated the first generation entrepreneurs who were technically qualified. This initiative did no go for long because of the priorities being different for banks .Quite often; very many ventures did not fare well for lack of the planning part”

I also received a lot of response, who had a similar message, and there was a consensus that we should educate to plan.

However, before that it is also important that we plan to educate more people. We see, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh termed the 11th five-year plan as “India’s educational plan” and emphasized on the fact that over 19 per cent of the total central gross budgetary support would be spend on the sector during the plan period.

“We have increased the outlay on education from 7.7 per cent of the total central gross budgetary support in the 10th five year plan to over 19 per cent in the 11th plan,” Singh said addressing the 20th convocation ceremony of Goa University. “The actual outlays have been raised five-fold. This is an unprecedented increase in allocation for education in the history of our country,” he said.

For further details, you can check this link http://www.freshnews.in/11th-five-year-plan-will-be-indias-education-plan-pm-19825

What would be our priority? Should we educate to plan, or plan to educate?

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Do we need education on planning?

Mr. A.S Rao Advisor, Department of Scientific, and Industrial Research (DSIR), Government of India, mentioned about DSIR starting new scheme, where they will provide angel fund to innovative startup companies, in his recent mail. Later, he also sent his blog address, where you can find further details, about it http://myangelfund.wordpress.com/.

The format of the application, for fund, is send, to couple of entrepreneur who is planning to start up. They where little overwhelmed, with the extensive financial information, the format of the application require. After couple of weeks also, there is no response from those would-be entrepreneurs.

Previously, the perception was that, there is a lack of funds available for supporting startups. However, the reality is different. Right now, the funding situations are getting better and better. There are also people who are planning to start their own business, and there is a lot of energy into that. While working on different process in i2i2008 of IIMC, and TieGER08 Bplan Competition of TiE Kolkata, and while being invited to Judge the Kshitij08 Business Plan competition of IIT-Kgp, there was a remarkable revelation.

The lack is not in the fund. There are also people who have the fire in belly. They are passionate about starting up. The lack is on understanding about the process of planning, which could lead to the process of funding. The plans people made, are not the plans investors want to see. They were just static project timelines, with activity sheets. Most plans lacked the strategic focus, which is so important for generating fund. There are few exceptions obviously.

There are also mental blocks. There are quite a lot of passionate young stars, who thinks planning is a one-time process. It is like building a resolution on the first of every year and throwing it in second. However successful entrepreneur have a different take on it. They feels planning is a continuous process. You have to plan, at the same time you have to adapt. You cannot successfully adapt, without a plan. Neither, you can make a successful plan without adapting it time to time.


Do we need education in planning to change the misconception about what a plan is?

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Is the education model, successful for one country, has to be necessarily successful in other country also?

Is the education model, successful for one country, has to be necessarily successful in other country also?

Anthony Mitchell, a successful entrepreneur from Seattle, has sent a link after receiving ‘AIL Daily wisdom newsletter’. The link, originally from New York Times reflects, about how US universities, are expanding abroad.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/10/education/10global.html?em&ex=1202878800&en=74783ecf65600179&ei=5087%0A

Is the education model, successful for one country, has to be necessarily successful in other country also?

While taking Management classes in different institute of India, I see a blind following of US case studies and authors. Lot of the people, who comes out from these classes, is never going to work in US environment. However the problem here is different, we do not have good cases and books on Indian management scenarios, again leaving the exceptions.

Therefore, on the context of management education, there is no question that US education model and content will be a great help. However, Will that be same in other academic disciplines too?

Monday, February 11, 2008

Will Integral Education help to create entrepreneur and teach lifeskills?

I have another successful entrepreneur from kolkata, Mr. Abhishek Rungta, who really wrote about Entrepreneurship Education, and to what extent that could be taught in his blog.

http://www.abhishekrungta.com/can-entrepreneurship-be-taught/94

He, actually informed about it, after receiving ‘AIL daily wisdom’ mails that he has been thinking on these lines, long time back.

Extending to his thought let’s ask the following question

What could be the education model that would create entrepreneurs?

A man, who wants to exercise his freedom on creating new ways of doing things, would require a different kind of mind. The mind has to think originally. This is an essential requisite, to become innovative. He also has to see things integrally and see the bigger picture.

There has been an education model known as ‘Integral Education model’, which is conceived around the thoughts of Sri Aurobindo. The Mother (Mira Alfassa) later implemented it.

Based on a principle thought that “Nothing can be taught. “ Integral Education is somewhat aligned how entrepreneur learns things – by exploring and experiencing.

A video footage from Sraddhalu Ranade from Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry, talks about Integral Education in more detail.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1vPJXnsjjs

Can this be a solution?

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Entrepreneurship Education and life skills Education – do they relate?

On July 2004, I was in a talk show with television journalist Sabyasachi on life skills education. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dc8SxImJY0w

I was talking about, how with life skills education, people can make best from his life from both materially and spiritually.

I have heard many people saying, “Entrepreneurship is a way of living.”
Earlier, I heard also Dr. William Scott Green of University of Miami, telling about the focus on American Education system towards ‘Innovation’ and ‘Job creation ’.

Whereas I find, Indian education system is more geared towards building ‘Job seekers‘then ‘Job Creators’. Fundamentals of our economy will only change when our education system creates more “Job Creator.”

Can we impart entrepreneurship education in form of life-skills education?

This is already a successful practice in US Education System.