EDII imparts entrepreneurship training to 71 international participants from 27 developing countries

Ahmedabad, January 19, 2023: Seventy one foreign professionals from 27 developing countries were awarded certificates in a valedictory ceremony organised by the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII) on Friday.  Three programmes sponsored by the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Division of Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, including, Infrastructure and Sustainable Project Preparation & Appraisal and Informal Sector Enterprise; Entrepreneurship Education, Knowledge Management and Policy Research; and Promoting Startups in Developing Economies through Innovation and Incubation, concluded at EDII on Friday.

The professionals were from developing countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan, Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, Fiji, Ghana, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Myanmar, Niger, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Togo, Turkmenistan, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.

The Chief Guest at the valedictory function was Smt. Abhilasha Joshi, Additional Secretary [DPA-II & IV], Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. Also, present on the occasion was Dr. Sunil Shukla, Director General, EDII.

The three Capacity Building programmes, were offered during 1 – 19 January 2024. Addressing the participants Ms. Abhilasha Joshi said, “India has a long tradition of sharing knowledge and focusing on education and learning. We place high value on our civilizational ethos of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, meaning that the ‘world is one family’, and driven by that, we ensure that our guests are looked after in every possible way.

The programmes under the ITEC, Ministry of External Affairs, are highly relevant, based on contemporary requirement and these subscribe to the ethos of South-South cooperation. I also notice increased women participation in these programmes which again is a promising indication towards women-led development.” Ms. Joshi urged the participants to implement the learning back in their country and organisation, for national well-being.

Dr. Sunil Shukla, in his address said, “The commitment of the government towards offering a helping hand to, more than 160 countries across the world is unparalleled. While the participants of the three programmes learnt subject-related skills, they also got an opportunity to observe how the nation, and the state of Gujarat, prioritizes economic growth, infrastructure, education, startups and social development.  I am sure the experience has been wholesome and it will have a percolating effect in terms of the advantages reaching down to several layers of society. I request the participants, therefore, to spread the learning back in their home country.”

The programme, Entrepreneurship Education, Knowledge Management and Policy Research which had 28 participants from 18 countries, aimed at enabling the participants to formulate customized and need-based entrepreneurship education policies, strategies and programmes in the country. Dr. Pankaj Bharti was the Programme Director for this programme.

The programme, Infrastructure and Sustainable Project Preparation & Appraisal and Informal Sector Enterprise aimed at improving and updating knowledge of officials in the areas of project preparation & appraisal techniques, decision-making process in sectors of industrial, infrastructure & sustainable opportunities leading to improved viability, returns, and effective investment decisions. Dr. Amit Kr. Dwivedi, was the Programme Director for this programme which had 17 participants from 10 countries.

The programme, Promoting Startups in Developing Economies through Innovation and Incubation was designed to prepare a cadre of professionals for leading the Startup movement in developing countries through establishment and support of incubation centers. Dr. Satya Ranjan Acharya was the Programme Director for this programme which had 26 participants from 16 countries.

The participants gained insightful knowledge and were able to link the theoretical knowledge with the practical aspects through relevant exposure visits.