BYST’S INTERNATIONAL MENTORING SUMMIT @ THE RASHTRAPATHI BHAVAN, NEW DELHI
With an aim to support employability initiatives in the country and encourage youth to take up entrepreneurship, BYST (Bharatiya Yuva Shakti Trust), a not for profit organization dedicated to empower underprivileged youth, organized India‘s first International Mentoring Summit from the 4-6 April 2017. The event celebrated mentorship and discussed its impact on the various sectors will also mark BYST‘s glorious 25 years of foundation in the country. Based on the theme ‘Mentoring Grassroots Entrepreneurs in Smart Grams for Inclusive Growth’, the summit held in association with the Rashtrapati Bhavan. With the inaugural on the 5th of April 2017 at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, International Mentoring Summit comprised a day-long conference addressed and attended by reputed dignitaries and ministers, including Shri Venkaiah Naidu, Minister of Urban Development, Shri Suresh Prabhu, Minister for Railways, to name a few. The event also brought together other industry veterans, expert mentors from around 14 countries and BYST‘s entrepreneurs and mentors from different fields, to share their views towards one common goal of achieving sustainable employability. The Honorable President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee was chief guest at the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion Ms. Lakshmi V Venkatesan Founding and Managing Trustee Bharatiya Yuva Shakti Trust said, ‘As an organization, BYST has always aimed to intensify its operations across the country and empower the underprivileged youth through mentorship and guidance. It gives me immense pleasure that we have covered a long journey of 25 years where we have touched the lives of so many, and created fine examples of successful enterprises.’
Shyam Sekar S, Founder and Chief Mentor of Startup Xperts delivered a speech on the opening plenary and shared his experiences of being part of BYST and building our entrepreneurship ecosystem. During his speech, Shyam quoted that being a mentor just not helps only the mentee to build and grow their businesses, but the mentor also learns during this process, besides feeling the joy of giving itself. Shyam holds the honorary position as the Chairman of the Mentor Advisory Panel for the BYST’s Chennai cluster.
His mentee Ms Shanmugadevi, Founder of Swasti Support Services was awarded the Best Woman Entrepreneur by the Hon. President of India. She thanked and appreciated her mentor Mr Shyam Sekar who not only helped her build her brand and scale up her business, but also for providing emotional support during the tough times that they faced during Chennai floods. She also thanked BYST for the business loan and free mentoring support with which she was immensely benefited.
There were many sessions that included Gurukul Diaries, Promoting Smart Grampreneurs, how entrepreneurship can empower urban development, free-will discussion by name Guftgu, and the event concluded with a special plenary session with Hon. President of India.