India is the hub of humanity. The world’s 2nd largest population in a vast and geographically diverse country . India has the world’s larget population below the age of 18 in the world – ahead of China. After about 67 years from independence India has been at the threshold of becoming a Global Super Power for quite some time. With the young population hungry to do make a statement in the world and with increased confidence India would be expected to deliver a large number of successful entrepreneurs who would be hogging the limelight globally.
India has a large number of entrepreneurs. However the entrepreneurial ability of most Indians is confined to traditional businesses or family business or in the most common form – being traders. In a country which has seen an exposition of engineering talent in the last 30 years. More and more talented people are coming of of the schooling system in India but they get into Jobs instead of Entrepreneurship. I am also an engineer – while i still want to be an entrepreneur – crack a big idea – create a start up – get venture capital funding etc has just remained a dream.
I was thinking the reason for the same? It struck me that though Indians are probably talented enough to start up and become entrepreneurs we are mostly 1st, 2nd generation into this kind of life. While we are successful we are also defensive and are mostly consumed by the thought of ‘earning more than i spend’. We are not brought up as risk embracing individuals.
First you have to complete the customary college degrees [Steve Jobs / Mark Zuckerberg would get get enough respect in Indian Society if they were to say they are college drop outs!]. In India you need to finish school – write exams – complete with millions of people – to get into elite colleges – get a education that only few in India and dream about. once you are out of college Indian Culture’s 1st Truth of Life – Find a Job and work there and earn money. In case you do get into a PSU [Public Sector Undertaking] or any other respectable organisation that your parents and uncle/ aunts are familiar with then you are expected to do that job for life. Too bad you wanted to become an entrepreneur – In India a secure job is more important – Why? – The reason to this are many fold including the 2nd truth of life in India which I’ll come to in a bit. In summary once you finish studying you are expected to take up a job. Earn money. Repay the loans if any. Contribute to the family etc etc.
By the time you feel you are settled and can probably look to get into something you really want to do – like starting up – the Indian family/ culture hits you with the 2nd Truth of Life – marriage. Since you are educated, doing a decent job, get salary every month hence its time to marry of the boy/ girl. There is nothing wrong with the concept of marriage except for the fact that it is a overtly done affair after which you are expected to shoulder more responsibilities – become serious in life – basically come out of the cavalier lifestyle that you otherwise would have liked to pursue. With the added responsibility early on in life the distractions get eliminated and again the average Indian is in the race of daily life – only this time with a wife in tow and soon some kids – forever jeopardising his/ her desiring to take a risk and starting up.
As you fight with your desires and your responsibilities – life gives you another opportunity a little after you are married – the last opportunity for you to actually go out there and chase your dreams. With the money you have saved you can try and start up. Instead the 3rd Truth of Life in India is about to hit you – Buying a House. Every Indian married man or woman is expected to have a house – mostly a flat these days – where they pour their life’s savings and take up expensive loans from willing banks and sit on EMIs for the rest of their lives. The savings that go into the house take with them your dreams of doing something of your own and the EMI of the banks doesn’t allow you to think down that road again.
I still want to start up one day – Don’t know how I will beat the system and the Truths of life – Till such time … Dream On!
The Silly Point 
