21st August is celebrated as World Entrepreneurs’ Day and today we shall take our moments to shower our gratitude and respect for all the entrepreneurs of the world. It is because of the ‘silent pain’ that an entrepreneur undertakes, we can enjoy various products and services at an affordable cost at our doorsteps. The entrepreneurial journey is the toughest and most coveted profession. Entrepreneurship is valued the most in the most developed world and dignity of labour is well visible in an entrepreneur’s attitude as for him, no job is small or big, he just keeps doing it.

According to the definition available, the word “entrepreneur” originates from a thirteenth-century French verb, entreprendre, meaning “to do something” or “to undertake.” By the sixteenth century, the noun form, entrepreneur, was being used to refer to someone who undertakes a business venture. Now every business tries to solve some problem otherwise it does not get a customer and then it does not remain in business. Now this basic element of business though, not rocket science,  we seem to delay in inculcating the same into our young minds. 

We as a society need to value the entrepreneurial mindset, motivate youths to be far-sighted and not just aim for a government job. Governments across space have already declared that it would be not in a position to give jobs much. The recently declared National Recruitment Agency talks about reform in the system of recruitment but it has not spoken about the number of increase of jobs by the Government. Government just can not increase jobs. With the bursting population, it is the private sector which can generate employment. So any business house or an entrepreneur not only create value for himself but solves some problems, besides generating direct or indirect employment.

The policymaker, as well as the political class, will do justice to their commitments if they can take entrepreneurs seriously in our country. The various bureaucratic bottleneck and misuse of power directed towards an entrepreneur is imperial in nature and should be left behind and a modern approach to honour and value entrepreneurship will do much good to our new India. The New Education Policy 2020 talks about entrepreneurship and a student now have to take up an internship from school level is a welcome approach. Our education system should also evolve over time and we need to produce skilled and knowledgeable graduates.

It is equally imperative for us to become intrapreneurial (where an employee works like an owner) if not entrepreneurial as statistics have started showing post-Covid impact, where salaried jobs are reducing whereas contractual works are increasing, which suggest that those with skills will survive in the job market and entrepreneurs across the world will be cautious on hiring. The goal should be to become an Entrepreneur and not just an Employee.