October 4 saw the inaugural event for Hult Prize 2022 at St. Xaviers College, Kolkata. The main events of Hult Prize SXC are Exhult and the OnCampus Program, which are some of the most awaited events of the college and for good reason. Exhult, a precursor to the main OnCampus Program, is an event focused on creating awareness and inculcating a sense of entrepreneurship in the youth.
The Fr. Depelchin Auditorium on the college campus served as the location for the first day of Exhult 2022 — Igniting Change conference. Reverend Dr Joseph Kulandai, SJ, vice-principal of the department of commerce, was the event’s first speaker. The speakers spoke to an audience that entirely comprised energised students. It began on a lighthearted tone with a member of the Hult team, Aamir Rizvi, taking the stage to delight the gathering with his sweet voice. Hult is best known for its diversity and exposure, which was proven in the next session by the winner of the Global Finals — Team Eco Bana, via Zoom. This was followed by an informative session by Richa Shah, the regional specialist for Central and South Asia for the Hult Prize Foundation. The executive from Hult explained the work flow of Hult and showed how it is the “Nobel Prize for students”. This took place when Lennox Omondi from Eco Bana was giving a presentation about his experiences and the path he took to earn $1 million.
The centrepiece of the OnCampus Program is the Hult Prize Business Proposal Competition, in which student teams propose their business ideas to a panel of prominent investors, mentors, and entrepreneurs based on a predetermined social entrepreneurship subject. The winning team at the global finals receives a staggering amount of money in seed funding. In a word, the Hult Prize is a phenomenal opportunity for young people to take the lead and create something new.
The next half of Exhult was where students were given the opportunity to get insights from some of the most influential shepreneurs of the country. Swati Gautam, founder and CEO of NecessitySwatiGautam, spoke extensively on social entrepreneurship and how with her body-positive customisable innerwear brand, she aims to bring about change in society. In an equally fun and interactive session, Aishwarya Biswas amazed the audience as she shared with them her journey of becoming the founder and CEO of Auli Lifestyle, a natural skincare brand, and striking a deal with the iconic businesswoman Namita Thapar on Shark Tank India Season 1. The first day of Exhult concluded with the vote of thanks by Dr Charlotte Simpson-Veigas, vice-principal, department of education followed by the professor-in-charge of Hult Prize SXC, Dr Tridib Sengupta delivering the closing speech.
“The Hult prize is extremely prestigious. This along with the Bill Clinton Foundation has made this amazing impact in the world of entrepreneurship. The Hult Prize is about social entrepreneurship, it’s about a win, win win, which is not only about others winning, but it is also about the environment winning. It is very important, and I am glad that I am here, I want to give back to my alma matter,” said Swati Gautam, founder and CEO, NecessitySwatiGautam, on the first day of Exhult.
“With the constant support and guidance of Rev. Dr Dominic Savio, SJ, principal, St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous), Kolkata, Exhult 2022 has been a great success through which the organising team, along with an esteemed and prolific panel of speakers and mentors, have been able to inculcate an entrepreneurial spirit amongst the young bright minds. After two days of seminars, chat sessions and workshops aimed at social entrepreneurship, students have taken back wonderful insights which have equipped them with all the pre-requisites to start their own venture,” said Tridib Sengupta, professor-in-charge of Hult Prize, St. Xavier’s College Kolkata.
“I hope that in this lifetime I can help make, develop and support the younger lot in ways I wasn’t. I don’t want to be a mentor or an advisor, I want to be their friend,” said Aishwarya Biswas, CEO, Auli Lifestyle.
“We aspire that Exhult provides our students with the wealth of knowledge, great wisdom, and crucial competence. Therefore, it is with utmost pride and honour that I inaugurate the event,” said Rev. Dr. Joseph Kulandai, SJ, vice-principal, department of commerce, St. Xavier’s, Kolkata.
“When we organised Hult this year, we aimed to envision and ignite change amongst the students while aiming to inculcate a sense of entrepreneurship amongst them,” said Umang Agarwal, campus director, Hult Prize, St. Xavier’s, Kolkata.
(L-R) Justin Williams, department of arts, and Asmi Upendra Singh, department of mass communication. “Hult has taught us a lot. We are really hoping to have a great event. This is a big opportunity for all the participants of our college,” said the enthusiastic students.
(L-R) Raima Bhatia, department of mass communication, and Christina Gomes, department of education. “It has been such an enriching journey and we hope to be a part of this in the future,” said the two.
“Being a participant of Hult Prize is a thing of honour. I really liked the workshop that has been offered to us. I am very thankful to all the teachers and mentors. We aspire to be entrepreneurs in the future, seeking all the guidance from these esteemed individuals,” said Dev Kejriwal, department of commerce, participant for Hult.
“I have been associated with Exhult and Hult from the time it began in our college. It is wonderful to see so many students participating so actively, and so enthusiastically and with the commitment of bringing change” said Dr Charlotte Simpson-Veigas, vice-principal, department of education.
Day Two of Exhult ’22 took place on November 5, in Xavier Hall, and students came back with the same enthusiasm as the first day. Fr. Rev. Dr Dominic Savio SJ, principal of St. Xavier’s College Kolkata, presided over the second day of Exhult and welcomed students. The day was filled with invaluable insights from four stalwarts. Prof. Chandradeep Mitra, CEO and founder of PipalMajik, discussed the fundamentals of entrepreneurship and how to get started in the field at the first workshop. CEO of Selvel One Group, Rajiv Ghosh, spoke to the students about his experiences with starting a company from scratch. Anurag Singal, CEO of BetaFin Partners, founder and chief mentor at CA Job Portal, and well-known YouTuber on jobs in commerce and finance, led the subsequent workshop. Drawing on his extensive experience, he provided the audience with a primer on the fundamentals of running a successful enterprise.
Karan Kishorepuria, a TEDx speaker, angel investor, start-up advisor, and developer of content, was the last speaker of the day. He spoke to the students about how to deal with the myriad obstacles that face entrepreneurs in today’s fast-paced world. Exhult 2022: Igniting Change was officially ended by deputy campus director of Hult Prize SXC, Arun Charles, after a full day of sessions led by highly experienced individuals.
The two-day event, which was attended by 800+ students, left behind a group of dedicated up-and-coming business leaders with a sharper focus on the future and greater confidence in their ability to affect change.
Karan Kishorepuria, entrepreneur, angel investor, start-up advisor, TEDx speaker and content creator, concluded the event with a mind-enriching workshop. “I had a super time at Exhult 2022. The students who were in attendance were highly engaging and passionate. They asked brilliant questions and overall their participation made this event one to remember,” he said.
One of the workshops were by Anurag Singal who is the CEO of BetaFin partners, the founder and chief mentor at CA Job Portal and also a renowned YouTuber, on careers in commerce and finance. From his vast experience in the field, he elaborated on the essentials of running a business that was lapped up by the budding entrepreneurs in the audience. “In a classroom of 200-plus participants, I wanted to give them a real-life examples of start-ups and valuation; it was a very enriching journey, I saw a lot of curiosity and potential among them,” said Singal.
“Good morning Fathers, honourable speakers, faculty members, and my dear students! Peter Drucker once said, ‘Entrepreneurship is neither a science nor an art. It is a practice.’ At St. Xavier’s College, we have always taught our students to aspire to inspire. We have always encouraged our students to pursue their interests, no matter how excruciating it is. Today, I feel proud to say that Hult Prize St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata, in association with the Hult Prize Foundation, has been persistent in inculcating a sense of social entrepreneurship in the students of our college,” said Fr. Rev. Dr Dominic Savio, SJ, principal, St. Xavier’s College Kolkata.
In the first workshop, Prof. Chandradeep Mitra, the founder and CEO of PipalMajik, spoke about the basics of entrepreneurship and how one can kickstart their entrepreneurial journey. He spoke extensively on start-ups and how to take that first step once an idea comes to mind.
Rajiv Ghosh, CEO of Selvel One Group, shared with the students tips on how to go about a start-up from its very inception. He shared various real-life examples to shed some light on the subject and show how certain well-known businesses first came into being.
Pictures: Koushik Saha