n the afternoon of Tuesday 8th January 2013 Shri Narendra Modi delivered an inspiring address to youngsters at the Youth Entrepreneurship Meet held as a part of Vibrant Gujarat Summit 2013. Shri Modi shared wonderful anecdotes and talked at length to the youth on entrepreneurship and serving society.
The Chief Minister asked the youth to see the website of the Vibrant Gujarat event. He said, “See the website, see the scale of the event. You would be proud of the fact that a small state can do such wonders. Like this seminar, there are a total of 123 seminars going on that will touch upon all themes related to development.” Shri Modi further pointed out, “We want speed, and we want development. We want to move ahead from where we are.”
Speaking about the youth, the Chief Minister opined, “Our youth should get wings, they should get the opportunity to fulfill their dreams.” Speaking about a mindset that is common among our youth Shri Modi shared, “There are very few youngsters who know what their life is about, what he or she has to do, how to do it. Our youth should know what their life is about. We want them to grow as individuals.”
He added, “We are fortunate to be born at a time when our nation is among the most youthful nations in the world. In 2020 the average age of India will be 29. Go to China, Europe, Russia- be it in the metro or in a mall, you will find majority of elderly people around you. We are such a youthful nation and our dreams must be on that scale. We must fill the vacuum that exists in the world.”
Shri Modi shared invaluable insights on what entrepreneurship is. “For entrepreneurship, you don’t need a degree from IIM. There are people who make a place for themselves in the world solely on the basis of their skills.” He shared an anecdote of a person he met in Vadodara many years ago. “That man would provide plumbers, carpenter, cook to people. Those who needed jobs also went to him. Gradually he became a good service provider. That was in 1978-79. Recently, I met someone from a big business house who said they are making a company in Delhi that will work as a service provider. I was reminded of this man 30 years ago. It shows even the most ordinary people have a great understanding of things.”
The Chief Minister shared another anecdote, “I knew a youngster who was unemployed but gave jobs to people! He gave membership for Re. 1 or Rs. 5 and then he would purchase all types of newspapers, bifurcate them according to the nature of the work and in a year send 6 postcards (to his clients) containing details of where to apply etc. And he drew many members.”
Shri Modi affirmed that no work is big or small. He gave the Mantra of ‘Shrameva Jayate’ and pointed out that the biggest impediment to our development journey is that we consider work to be big or small. Individuals grow after doing small tasks. The Chief Minister pointed that he has seen in many industrial families where children have been brought up very well, they went to school in best of cars but later on their fathers sent them to distant places and made them learn the ropes like any ordinary person.
Speaking about another good quality of an entrepreneur, Shri Modi recalled another anecdote and shared, “Once I was travelling by train and a specially abled child who was not even able to walk was doing boot polish. I noticed that while he was polishing shoes he would give a copy of the day’s newspaper to his client and on that some kind words were written.”
Shri Modi warned against taking shortcuts and declared that very often when life becomes excessively competitive and we live in reference to others, we fail to look within ourselves. Similarly, he talked about expanding one’s circle so that there is a free flow of ideas.
He himself admitted that he gets ideas by talking to people. Shri Modi stated, “Many people ask me- where do you keep getting these new ideas from? (Well), when I talk to people I get sparks of ideas after which I put my mind to it and then talk to officers.” The Chief Minister gave the example of the Jyotigram Yojana and recalled that when he mooted the idea the department said no but gradually work began on the initiative, pilot projects were commissioned and now Gujarat has 24/7 3-phase uninterrupted power supply.
Likewise, the Chief Minister talked about a village in Gandhinagar where chilies were cultivated. Due to a bumper harvest the prices of chilly fell and the income was only Rs. 3 lakh. When the Jyotigram Yojana became a reality, the people decided to allow the green chili to become red chili and used technology, packed it well and this gave an income of Rs. 18 lakh!
“This is entrepreneurship- how you market things,” declared Shri Modi. He went on to say, “We are a state with minimum raw material. Take iron-ore; we have no iron-ore but produce maximum steel. We do not have coal but are the largest producer of electricity.” The Chief Minister affirmed that earlier Gujaratis were the best tourists but now Gujarat is also a tourist destination in its own right be it Ran Utsav or the festival at Saputara.
Shri Modi asked the youth to dream big and said that their aim should not only be to get jobs but to create jobs for others. “Do such a thing that many others get jobs,” he declared. He urged the youth that the stepping stone to success is to delete many dreams and focus on one dream. He said the desire to do something must become determination and the determination must be backed by hardwork & sweat and that is when success will be yours.
A large number of youngsters were present on the occasion and heard Shri Modi’s inspiring words with great interest. Cabinet Minister Shri Ramanlal Vora and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.
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