The path to Green Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship is easy to conceptualize but hard to explain. I would describe entrepreneurship as the process of incubating ideas, championing their cause, assemble resources to bring the idea to commercial reality and finally to launch it and see it grow. The word “entrepreneur” originates from a thirteenth-century French verb, entreprendre, meaning “to do something” or “to undertake.” An apt etymology!!

To me, entrepreneurship strikes as a ‘creative destruction’ of old ways of doing things and transforming the whole process of running a business. Increasingly this art of entrepreneurship is acquiring a green shade. But this comes as no surprise, as entrepreneurs who often play an important role as engines of change in market based economy are turning ‘green’ just like engines of automobiles which are trying to attain an image of being ‘environment friendly’.

Entrepreneurs play a critical role in eventual adaptation of green business practices by wider business community. The new age entrepreneurs innovate, design and launch new products and services which are eco friendly and also try to address the problems of global warming. This new breed of entrepreneurs also inspires, and in most cases, forces existing firms to improve their efficiency. They follow new methods of marketing and help reconfigure existing business models.
This is an exciting area to be involved in. At its best, entrepreneurship is about harnessing the enthusiasm, initiative and creative energy of individuals. When this dynamism is applied to developing business solutions that help move enterprise along more sustainable ways, then the results will have the potential to be truly fascinating—and rewarding.

India’s has the world’s largest population of youngsters i.e. below the age of 35 estimated at about 500m+. Just imagine the benefits our country stands to gain even if a small percentage of youngsters decide to take the plunge and become ‘green’ entrepreneurs. Hope the dream becomes a reality.