The government has appointed online learning platform UpGrad as the official education partner for its ‘StartUp India’ learning programme. UpGrad, co-founded by Ronnie Screwvala, Mayank Kumar, Ravijot Chugh, and Prabhav Phalgun, will offer a four-week course — varied from its flagship 15-week programme — which will guide aspiring entrepreneurs as well as those who are already two-three years into their startup journey.
The course will include case studies, insights from leading startups as well as structured interactive sessions for creating vision, strategy, size of market, team building, business plans, etc. Screwvala said the objective of the learning module is to educate aspiring entrepreneurs about the challenges in their entrepreneurial journey and inform them of the key steps required to set up their venture. UpGrad aims to reach 1-million people through this initiative.
“In the first 2-3 years of an entrepreneur’s journey, a structured approach, a checklist of dos and don’ts as also learning from peers and live cases can be a great help to start your company, avoid many first time mistakes and also have the courage and conviction that you are not alone in this journey. And that’s what we aim do in this short and very interactive module,” said Kumar, CEO of UpGrad.
Screwvala said the program will begin in English and then will be launched in multiple vernacular languages within two months, a move aimed at ensuring that the initiative has an impact beyond the metros as well. The program is in line with the action plan for the Prime Minister’s ambitious Initiative on Startup India.
To ensure maximum reach, the program will not have any selection process. “We don’t want it to be a selective process. Anyone can apply, take up the course and get through it. For us, the crux is curiosity and curiosity will lead to clarity and eventually knowledge and progress,” Screwvala said.
In an atmosphere of funding drought, the program aims to introduce individuals to funding options beyond just private equity funds, venture capitalists and seed-stage funding.
Source: The Economic Times
