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Making job creators out of job seekers Pandit Nehru’s faith in science and technology as the principal instrument for lifting a society out of poverty and hunger was well known, writes Chandra Mohan at the beginning of one of the chapters in his book Making Entrepreneurs: Lessons from a Lifetime. Nehru’s and subsequently Indira Gandhi’s economic policies, however, stifled innovation in the private sector, forcing many bright minds to look to foreign shores. With the new economic policy of 1991, however, the scenario somewhat changed.
These graduates, however, end up putting burden on the economy that powered by the service sector has witnessed a jobless growth in the recent years. A civil, mechanical or electrical engineer, who should be revitalising the manufacturing sector, ends up working in the IT industry or is forced to change the field altogether. In order to provide opportunities to this lot and to harness benefits of the demographic dividend that India is witnessing today, there is a need for job creators, not job seekers. The Indian higher education system, however, has failed to do so with its focus on theory and rote learning instead of application. Highlighting this failure and providing solutions through his vast experience as a technocrat and an entrepreneur is the author’s objective in this book. Although, the trait-based theories of entrepreneurship are often called into question, author’s memoir provides glimpses of some qualities entrepreneurs have in common. In 1950, he was the only one who opted for mechanical engineering over civil engineering, he writes. Such a trait of not following conventions is common among entrepreneurs. Today, many engineering and business management students are forgoing huge pay packages to open or work for start-ups. In fact, the author encourages youngsters to innovate during the period just after their graduation when they can take risk and are full of energy. The author’s account of his education at East Punjab College (today, the PEC University of Technology) and early career acts as a window to India’s post-Independence industrialisation. His association with Indian Railways and Central Mechanical Research Institute and incidents that shaped his career along with lessons learnt from mentors make for a good reading. Punjab Tractors is what the author is best known for. In 1970, he came to Chandigarh with a team of four engineers to pursue the challenge of making a totally indigenous tractor. By 1997, Rs-1,500 crore Swaraj Group and its 20,000 direct and indirect employees were substantive contributors to the region’s economy, he notes. A substantial portion of the book describes this journey along with the author’s commitment to total quality management. With each chapter concluding with essential learnings, the book acts as a ready reckoner for budding entreprenuers. Although parts of the book will only interest engineers, some portions teach important lessons to others too. In one of the chapters, for example, the author narrates in detail the way he helped his wife to find her true calling as a social entreprenuer, and how he always supported his son’s endeavours; hence, giving tips on good parenting too. In the final chapters, the author explains his own initiatives to identify, mentor and groom entrepreneurs during their technical education. He gives incisive and valuable suggestions for the creation of a pool of such job creators. It is these job creators who will be the drivers of growth and employment. There is a lot for policy makers to take away from this section. The letdown, if any, is the book’s poor copy-editing. It acts as an irritant for a reader with keen eyes and takes the focus away from the substance of the book.
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The jobs created to cater to the spurt in demand from the developed economies led to the establishment of numerous government as well as private engineering colleges. Today, as the author notes, these colleges produce three-quarters of million graduates annually.
