Three words for entrepreneurs – Venkatesh Chandrasekaran, Founder trustee, Schools for India

“Go for it” - these are the three words that Venkatesh Chandrasekaran, Founder trustee, Schools for India, offers as his message to wannabe entrepreneurs. Just go for it, he says. “Do not worry about what you will gain from it. Rather, pursue it till you can’t go any further. Then, stop; and, then, again, start going forward; so, there is no other way except just pursuing whatever you want to do. Thus, I think, the simple thing is, just go for it, whatever you believe in.”

Venkatesh ChandrasekaranA student of Avichi High School, and the Institution of Engineers (1984-1989), Venkatesh worked as Manager in Megatech Control P Ltd (1989-1996); Manager Automation in SRA Systems Ltd (1996-1998); Managing Director of CVIAC (1998-1999); Manager in Cimac (2000-2001); and Head R&D Automotive in Satyam Computer Services Ltd (2001-2012). Venkatesh is Founder Trustee of Schools for India Trust, started in December 2004. After serving as Co Chairman of Confederation of Indian Industry’s Chennai Aero Park Committee (2009-2010), he is currently Co-Chairman of TN Manufacturing and Services Task Force.

Think-Make-Change

An upcoming activity of CII is Think-Make-Change, a product design competition. It aims to encourage a design ecosystem in Tamil Nadu. “The competition would be conducted across Tamil Nadu every year inviting thinkers, doers, and change-makers to come on a single platform to try, try, fail, fail, to succeed! And thereby to benefit manufacturing industries.”

Schools for India

With the mission to provide quality education, Schools for India, a non-profitable charitable organisation, is involved in creating the best-in-class schools across India. On its Facebook page, you will see informative posts, such as: “We aim to employ 600,000 teaching and non-teaching staff by the year 2020” (May 2010); “Looking for volunteers to assist in conducting secondary and primary research at Bodla, Kabirdham, Chhatissgarh. To identify the right site for S4I project in coordination with the district administration” (April 2011); and “Schools for India is currently engaged in the State of Bihar, India, to build the first pilot school in Jotuka village. The village community has come together to support the project by donating 10 acres of land. Total of 13 villagers pledged their support during the meeting held on 30th Dec 2011” (January 2012).