A two days entrepreneurship programme on “Start-up Opportunities for Profitable Livestock Farming” under NAHEP-IDP begins at Faculty of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, SKUAST-Jammu R.S. Pura campus to aware and sensitizes the selected thirty final year internship students about the importance of entrepreneurship and startup culture in today’s fast progressing world where becoming ‘job creator’ is being seen as a benchmark of entrepreneurial success.
Prof. J.P. Sharma, Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor, SKUAST-Jammu, and Chief Guest on the occasion inaugurates the programme in presence of Dr. Rakesh Nanda, Director Education, SKUAST-Jammu and Dr. M.S. Bhadwal, Dean, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, RS Pura.
Prof. Sharma while addressing the gathering as the Chief Guest as well as the lead speaker of the programme invokes the spirit of entrepreneurship and startup among the ‘interns’ final year veterinary graduates by his own unique way of storytelling with facts and figures along with wits of humour which made this entrepreneurship programme on “Start-up Opportunities for Profitable Livestock Farming” a fruit full one. He talked about various qualities of an entrepreneur. He advised the students to go for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis before taking any decision. He motivated the students to go for entrepreneurial ventures by taking calculated risks. Further, he said that as the land availability is shrinking because of industrialisation, roads and other infrastructural development on a big way, the role livestock sector will emerge as major source of employment generation through entrepreneurship and start-ups. He quoted many examples from his own award winning book “Yes, You can Launch Your Own Enterprise: Beginners Guide” to motivate the young budding vets.
At the outset, Dr. M.S. Bhadwal, Dean, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, RS Pura heartily welcomed the Chief Guest and other dignitaries as well as speakers of the programme. He gave detailed information about the two days entrepreneurship programme and also elaborated the different areas in livestock sector where entrepreneurial ventures can be started by budding vets. Further, he said that the objectives of this programme is to provide an opportunity to the upcoming veterinary graduates to discuss and exchange ideas/knowledge/experiences with the experts/ resource persons and to impart exposures to the vet interns on livestock economics, value chain, FPO formation, processing, financing, marketing, branding, ethics, morals and values in business while Prof. B.C. Sharma, P.I., NAHEP, SKUAST-Jammu gave an overall picture of various activities undertaken in SKUAST-Jammu under NAHEP with an objective to create vocational and entrepreneurial skills among the students.
On the first day of programme invited expert lectures were given by Dr. Sashanka Sekhar Dutta, a Social Entrepreneur, Chief Functionary and Managing Trustee of JBF (India) Trust, Guwahati, Assam on the topic “Entrepreneurship Opportunities as a Veterinary Graduate” while Dr. Smriti Rekha Dutta, Chief Clinician and Small Animal Surgeon, Programme Director, JBF (India), Guwahati, Assam on the topic “Scopes and Opportunities in Animal Welfare” ’ whereas Dr. Devesh Thakur Assistant Professor, Department of VAHE, CSKHPKV, Palampur delivered on the topic ‘The Anatomy and Psychology of Entrepreneurship’
During the inaugural session a compendium was also released by the dignitaries. All the HoDs, committee members, Course Co- Coordinators namely Dr. Kamal Sarma , Dr. Pranav Kumar, Dr. Anil Bhat and Dr.Ankur Sharma; Senior Scientist, KVK Jammu, media persons and supporting staffs were present during the inaugural session.
Dr. Aditi Koul, Asstt. Prof. Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry conducted the proceedings and Dr. Jonali Devi, Professor & Head, Division of Vety. Physiology & Biochemistry, F.V.Sc. & A.H., R.S. Pura and Associate Member, NAHEP, SKUAST-Jammu cum Course Coordinator extended vote of thanks.
