Bangalore's Town Hall will see buds of business

Even before completing graduation, three Bangalore students are toying with the idea of entrepreneurship. Syed Ahad, a student at the Cathedral Composite PU College, Shwetha NA, BBM student at the National Institute of Management Studies and Mamatha M, a PU student at Gangamma Hombegowda College will be representing Bangalore in an international business plan competition.

The Merrill Lynch National Business Plan Competition is being conducted with assistance from I Create, a firm which conducts entrepreneurship courses in educational institutions. The finals will be held at the Town Hall at 9.30 am on Friday.

Shwetha’s idea is about starting a wholesale milk supply business to create employment in her hometown, a village in Kozhikode, Kerala. “I will return to my village and generate jobs for the rural folkwhose main occupation is agriculture,” she said.

For Syed, a chance observation of working parents near his home not finding quality childcare led to his business idea. His business plan is about providing a childcare facility, which will employ qualified teenagers for baby sitting for fixed hours.

“This will help students earn money while working part time,” he said. Mamatha's business idea is to manufacture eco-friendly plates and bowls made of jackfruit leaves.

The students will have to compete against nine others from Kolkata, Jaipur and Baroda. Winners of the event will get to participate in the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship Global Event to be held in New York in April 2010.