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It told me that entrepreneurship had started getting prioritized at multiple levels.
Today, it feels good to notice how on all significant platforms there are deliberations
on inclusive growth, mainstreaming various sections of society, strengthening
MSMEs and propelling startups and innovations – And, the one potential factor
which is pinpointed as an answer, across these variables, is entrepreneurship.

EDII identified the need to promote entrepreneurship in late seventies and early
eighties. Amidst all doubts and apprehensions, EDII stood by its belief, and advocated
that, setting up an enterprise and its success depended on the characteristics and the
functioning of the person-behind-the-enterprise. It proclaimed that entrepreneurs
are not just born, they could be trained and developed too.

But back then, it was hard for people to accept this. They believed businesses could
only happen naturally to some, and that businesses could only be bequeathed from
one generation to the other. It did take time to break barriers of perceptions and
mindsets. A few successes set the ball rolling and entrepreneurship started gaining
recognition as a development marvel with huge potential. India's entrepreneurial
landscape started shaping up. Factors such as demographic dividend, information
diversity, globalization & liberalization, IT revolution etc, were tapped for
strengthening the entrepreneurial processes. Of course, the ecosystem was noticeably
firmed up, inspiring the youths, in particular, to experience the thrill of an
entrepreneurial journey. In between, there was also a distinct change in the
perception of society towards an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs started getting
considered as achievers and intellectuals. Gradually, with the coming together of
institutions, incubation and government support, as a part of a developed
entrepreneurship ecosystem, the confidence of would-be entrepreneurs got further
reinforced. All in all, entrepreneurship came to be accepted as a powerful recourse to
attain holistic growth.

The most striking feature of EDII's growth story was that it remained open to every
phase of development and the need to revisit its own strategies for the sustenance and
success of this unique and extraordinary concept. With every changing era, EDII
revised its parameters to keep its models market-relevant.

We have travelled a long path but we still have miles to cover. The developments at
the national and state levels bring joy to us; there are newer opportunities and
challenges. EDII remains committed to making the State of Gujarat, and the country,
maintain its lead on the path of entrepreneurship.

- Sunil Shukla

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