Nasscom Plans To Train Budding Entrepreneurs

The National Association of Software Services and Companies (Nasscom) is launching a mentoring programme for entrepreneurs in the field of information technology. The programme is set to begin in Mumbai soon.

Making this announcement at the first CII-MAIT-Nasscom-ICT Exhibition 2002's concluding session on 'Entertainment: Opportunities for IT Companies', Harish Mehta, co-founder of Nasscom and a TiE member, Mumbai chapter, said: "We have the mentoring programme within TiE but it has been largely catering to entreprenuers in the technology products field. We are now extending this programme to Nasscom. This will help in mentoring emerging entrepreneurs in the field."

As per the training programme, Mehta informed that Nasscom will indentify eight or ten chief executive officers from IT companies. These CEOs will spend at least two to three hours per week with emerging entrepreneurs and guide them.

Mehta feels such platforms are good for bringing about an entrepreneurial spirit among professionals and for building a good entrepreneurial base within the country. This should help make the India Inc brand stronger in the global arena.

Meanwhile, chairing the concluding session on the potential for IT firms in entertainment, Amit Khanna, chairman, Relaiance Entertainment, said both the entertainment sector as well as the software sector has growing.

Further using sharing the platform with Nasscom, MAIT, CII and TiE, Khanna who is also the member of the FICCI Convergence committe has announced that they will form a new alliance with Nasscom and TiE to create a platform to help take the Indian entertainment and IT industry global.

Mehta said that both the Indian software industry and the entertainment industry have been doing well and both these sectors have their own strengths. Between the entertainment and the technology sector there are a whole lot of areas like special effects, animation, digital cinema and the likes. He added that the IT industry would like to work together with the entertainment industry and also involve academicians in order to get professionals who are specialised in these various fields of entertainment and technology. This kind of an alliance will also help us in global branding of India."