India offers special programme for youngsters
Venkat Raman –
Young men and women of Indian origin (PIO) can benefit from a unique, new programme just launched by the Indian government as a part of its global dialogue with the Indian Diaspora.
Called, the ‘Indian Fellows Programme (IFP), it forms a part of the ‘India Connect Initiative,’ promoted by the ‘Overseas Indian Facilitation Centre (OIFC)’ and the Indian School of Business (Executive Education), one of the finest institutions in the world. It was rated 33rd in the Global MBA Ranking of the Financial Times in 2015.
The Progamme aims to create and advance a pool of entrepreneurs from various parts of the world to successfully gain access to the world’s fastest growing economy.
Great Potential
A notification from Delhi at press time stated that the Programme is open to PIO in the 21-39 age group engaged as entrepreneurs, professionals and managers in decision-making capacity. Those who show potential as investors and international partners of Indian companies with at least three years of entrepreneurial experience would be considered for admission into the Programme.
“The IFP will help young Diaspora entrepreneurs understand various aspects that are critical to gaining market entry into India; practical insights about doing business with India, understanding the legal and regulatory environment, exposure to Indian economy and an insight into the emerging opportunities in the world’s fastest growing economy,” the notification said.
The federal government had established ‘India Investment Centres’ in the 1960s to tap into the investment potential of overseas investors with substantial success. However, the enormous potential of PIO has been realised since 2003 when the government launched its ‘Pravasi Bharatiya Divas’ (PBD) to encourage the Indian Diaspora to invest in India and honour some of them as recognition of their achievements.
PBD has now become a biennial event but the IFP could become a more successful venture of the Indian government in embracing the younger members of the Diaspora.
Residential Course
The initiative incorporates a ten-day residential programme at the ISB campuses in India and a year-long engagement through webinars. It also offers a mix of experiential learning including exposure to ‘the touch and feel’ of the Indian market, connect with senior government officials dealing with investment policies, domain experts, captains of the Indian industry and a curated networking opportunity with potential business partners.
Elite Club
Selected candidates who complete the programme will become members of the OIFC India Entrepreneurship Fellows (OIEF) Club, which will receive support and facilitation from OIFC in doing business in India.
The Programme this year has a special introductory fee of US$ 5000 including boarding and lodging, learning material, field visits and webinars. Participants should pay for their cost for travel and local conveyance.
As well as networking sessions with New Age Indian entrepreneurs, the Programme provides for additional, year-long engagement through monthly webinars and Google Hangouts.
The first webinar will be held in June and classroom sessions will commence in August 2016. Application requests and other information can be obtained by email.
The last date for submission of completed applications is is March 31, 2016.
For more details, write to Indian School of Business, Centre for Executive Education
Gachibowli, Hyderabad 500 032, Telangana, India
Email: oifc_indiafellows@isb.edu | www.isb.edu/cee/indiafellows
