Insights on Entrepreneurship Education and Mentoring Programs

Many engineers are drawn to technologybased start-up ventures for professional and personal fulfillment. Success in entrepreneurship, however, is not easy. A survey conducted at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay of 326 start-up founders, aspiring entrepreneurs, mentors, and other stakeholders showed a critical need for training in business finance, design thinking, team management, and marketing and sales. Another survey of 28 start-ups founded by alumni of the Desai Sethi (DS) School of Entrepreneurship in Mumbai, India, highlighted the role of structured mentoring programs.