A teen Telangana-based entrepreneur, Saikiran founded SCOPE at the age of just 17. He is currently a first-year BTech Data Science student at Manipal University, Jaipur. Even before crossing the threshold of his teen years, Saikiran is already leading a prosperous professional career. He completed his Junior CEO program certified by Brown University. He also received the monumental Global Kids Achievers Award for developing SCOPE’s avant-garde application. He was also one of the top-100 students across India selected by Google to visit their office.
Entrepreneurship and entrepreneurs are the buzzwords of the 21st-century. Globally, entrepreneurs are frequently considered national assets that should be cultivated, motivated and remunerated to their maximum potential. Developed countries like the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom are regarded as world leaders because of their pioneering innovation, reformist research and entrepreneurial spirit.
In this context, the growth rate of India’s young entrepreneurs is a watershed moment. There are countless examples of youngsters who have thrown down the gauntlet against stereotypical norms of age, ability, and growth trajectory in the last decade. Young entrepreneurs’ youthful and dynamic leadership has become immeasurably successful with a robust return on investment (RoI) and critical employment opportunities for thousands of people.
Teen entrepreneurs are the front-runners of new-India
While new-age entrepreneurs are already thriving on the back of cutting-edge technology, futuristic approaches and unparalleled products/platforms, teen entrepreneurs give India an edge above other countries. These entrepreneurs have high-risk tolerance and endurance for experimentation — the two primary factors for technological innovations. They also bring transformations with novelties that enable enhanced and upgraded products to embolden the market. The matchless levels of creativity and modernism make teen entrepreneurs the ultimate ground breakers.
However, as a society and an ecosystem constantly working to make India a superpower, we need to start inculcating an entrepreneurial mind set within teenagers. This narrative cannot take a back seat or limit itself with preachified words. We need to encourage their entrepreneurial psyche and make teen entrepreneurs feel that their startup journey is being fully supported and cheered. The Indian startup culture has to evolve and become more acclamatory and companionable for teen entrepreneurs. This will ensure they don’t feel afraid to explore something new and unprecedented. Their out-of-the-box and excellent ideas require a supporting ecosystem like a seedling that needs water and sunshine.
Why are teenagers cut out for entrepreneurship?
Undoubtedly, teen entrepreneurs are filled with more energy, enthusiasm, artistry and ingenuity than their adult counterparts. They can easily adapt to any environment and make it their own. In addition, as compared to adults or older people, youngsters are far more resilient and goal-oriented. Young entrepreneurs can stimulate more competitive economies by knocking down monopolies, generating unique demands, and resolving age-old problems with futuristic technology. The best part is, these people are expediters of shared prosperity. Though they are driven by fast economic growth and unconventionality, they also believe in bringing a significant positive change in societies.
Moving Forward
As per 2019 statistics, 54% of the Indian population is under 35. Almost 15 million youngsters enter the workforce every year. Such a large population creates massive room for more job opportunities that can only be filled through entrepreneurialism and reorganisation. To promote this, many government initiatives encourage newness, creative freedom and a break with traditional approaches. This is the only way India can rank up in the global entrepreneurship forum.
But, as a society, can we do it? It is hard to fathom, but the truth is that there is severe misalignment between education and jobs. People think that securing a job right after gaining a good college degree is easy, but the truth cannot be far from reality. In fact, even though the unemployment rate is going down, several millennials and baby boomers are working low-paying, high-pressure and even entry-level jobs that may or may not be related to their specialisations.
Considering this, it is safe to say that parents and adults have to pave an enlightened path for the next generations to encourage entrepreneurial essence. Through informal discussions or open-ended questions, evoke their divergent thinking skills, praise their unique ideas, encourage them to ask why we do things in a certain way, pay attention to their natural curiosities and armour them with financial literacy.
And most importantly, let them fail. Teach kids to accept their mistakes and how to learn from them. Build their future by instilling them with these small but prominent features, and you can start building the pathway for a flourishing India.