Belagavi official urges youth to pursue entrepreneurship over conventional careers

Youth must look beyond traditional jobs and embrace entrepreneurship, Belagavi students told

The Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer has called on young people to move beyond conventional career paths and explore opportunities in entrepreneurship, arguing that business ventures offer multiple avenues for employment and innovation.

Rahul Shindhe made the remarks while distributing prizes to school students at The Hindu Ramanujan Spark Quest 2026 and The Hindu Avishkar Science Fest 2026 in Belagavi. The event, organised in association with Excellent Science and Commerce PU College, Moodabidri, drew over 350 students to the KPTCL hall in Belagavi.

Moving beyond government and private-sector jobs

"We need to look beyond the traditional roles of serving as employees in private companies or as government servants. There are several avenues of employment and business in entrepreneurship," said Mr. Shindhe, an alumnus of IIT Bombay. He cited the Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, an incubation centre at IIT Bombay that he helped establish, as proof of entrepreneurship's potential.

"It has created great brands like Ola Cabs and Housing.com. They were all started by my friends, seniors, and juniors," the officer told the students. He explained that ideas which can be developed into useful tools for society can be monetised, expanded and scaled up. "Events like science fairs help kindle interest in such areas," he added.

Mr. Shindhe urged students to consider a wide range of professions, including research and development, teaching, public service, and entrepreneurship.

Agricultural scientists and the Green Revolution

S.B. Patil, retired assistant director of agriculture, inaugurated the session earlier. He spoke in detail about the contributions of agricultural scientists like M.S. Swaminathan and others who contributed to the Green Revolution. He urged youngsters to take up their studies along with extracurricular activities like sports and cultural performances.

Cultivating scientific inquiry

"The youth should develop the spirit of scientific inquiry to evolve into responsible citizens of the country," Mr. Patil said. He stressed that all challenges of life should be faced with the right attitude, which is cultivated only by a spirit of scientific inquiry, especially at a young age.

"Children and young people should develop the mindset where they do not accept anything without questioning," he said. The event's organisers emphasised that such platforms encourage students to engage with science and innovation through competitive activities.

Source: The Hindu