The semi-finals of the Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), an international network of students, academics and business leaders that aims to apply knowledge gained  in the classroom to address real-world issues, was held in the city on Saturday.

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The participants comprised regional champions chosen at events held in Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai.

These included the Mumbai-based SP Jain Institute of Management and Research and HR College of Commerce & Economics, and Loyola College and Shankarlal Sundarbai Shasun Jain College for Women, Chennai.

Loyola College qualified for the finals, to be held at Los Angeles shortly, for its project on marketing an eco friendly, herbal, and cheap pesticide.

Loyola assessed the state of agriculture in the country and the potential demand for bio-pesticides in the world market. It formulated and promoted a botanical bio-pesticide, PONNEM, in collaboration with the Entomology Research Institute.

Other projects at the competition included training transgender people in jewellery design, teaching destitute women how to cook and marketing eco-friendly bio diesel.

A favourite with the crowd was the project on auto entrepreneurship that involved training auto mechanics so they can set up their own garages.

“The world is watching India unleash its potential through its youth. We have the youngest working population and this will continue till 2050. SIFE gives us an opportunity to mentor students who will become tomorrow’s entrepreneurs,” said Keshav R Murugesh, chairman, SIFE India and group CEO, WNS Global Services, a process outsourcing company.