Get sell-smart on street

Chanting the slogan of “Socho-Becho-Seekho” (Think-Sell-Learn), nearly 350 MBA students hit the streets of Bangalore to sell educational aides and gain field sales experience in entrepreneurship.

The students of Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Bangalore were participating in an event, Mandi, which is part of an entrepreneurship course taught on campus. Students are evaluated and earn credits on their ability to execute the Mandi project, i.e., selling on the street two educational aides each priced at Rs35 and Rs150, designed to teach Math and Science to children in the age group of 5-8 years.

“Entrepreneurship should be part of the curriculum for all graduate-level courses, be it dentists or engineers. The Mandi system has evolved from the Gandhian system of education, Nai Taleem. It tells students, ‘Padhai karo, usse apply karo, kammai karo, aur behatar padhai karo.’ (Learn, apply, earn and learn more). Through selling, students can learn strategising, consumer behaviour, economics, time management and even work ethics,” said Prof T Prasad, Centre for Student Enterprise, NITIE, Mumbai. Prof Prasad has been spreading the Mandi philosophy across campuses in the country.

According to Pankaj Gupta, director, SIBM, the seeds of entrepreneurship needs to be sown in all students, not just MBA graduates. “We have made entrepreneurship part of the curriculum, which provides students with an academic advantage. There is a plan to take the Mandi to 30 or 40 more campuses and have a Maha Mandi,” he said.