Where is the Indian entrepreneur?
Have you seen the indian tv commercial for a pension plan, where a small boy wants to jump into a lake but his mom says no.. he grows up and wants to quit his job, then thinks of his pregnant wife and changes his mind.. then after retirement, he finally goes back to the lake and jumps..
I keep reading about articles encouraging Indians to create jobs.. i.e., turn entrepreneur and start a company and give jobs to others.. We have a substantial population with high academic qualification, that has great ideas, networks well, works very hard.. but almost always takes a salaried job rather than starting their own business..
Why are we so different from the western world where the percentage of entrepreneurs is way higher..?
There are three things I can think of:
1. Middle class background.. Most of the educated young generation today hail from the middle class.. a section of society that always played it safe - to earn in the most secure way possible and invest the earnings in the most risk-averse way.. This getsalary-growsavings strategy had done well - the children have got a foreign education and are doing great, there's a glamorous lifestyle now. At this juncture, deviating from this strategy and the thought of diving into entrepreneurship, and possibility of losing this newfound lifestyle is quite scary..
2. Illusion of dependants.. We as Indians are brought up to financially support our kith and kin.. The ageing parents, the suffering relative, the yet-to-be married sister, the school going kid.. We just feel incomplete if it is just ourselves that we have to support financially! So, when we are on a salaried job with steady income, we feel that we make ours as well as others' life secure.. If we turn entrepreneur now, and there is no income until we reach break-even, it is not just us that will take a modest lifestyle, but also those dependants.. hmm.. what will they say.. they'd think we're so selfish.. that we shirked our responsibilities..
3. End-result obsession.. Everything we do is no good if the outcome is not first rank!! Our kids are no good if they don't hold first rank! The occasional gold-stars they get just doesn't matter! No one thanks someone for just participating - only the winner is profusely adulated and idolized..
So.. while I am at my salaried job.. today i am a team lead, tomorrow i'd be a project lead, after that i'd be practice lead.. Cool! People call me a lead all the way!! Now, if i start my own business, people will just not call me anything until i become a Tata, or an Ambani.. hmm...
We , the generation X, have to go a looong way to break out of this mentality.. until then, let's keep reading about entrepreneurship... :)
