INDIACSR News Network
MUMBAI: SAP India has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Native Lead Foundation (NLF), a non-profit organization that works in South Tamil Nadu to promote innovation and instill a spirit of entrepreneurship in students graduating from engineering colleges.
Under the MoU, SAP India will work with 20 engineering colleges that NLF partners in the Madurai-Trichy area to educate students on the various facets of entrepreneurship, with a vision to create quality “Made in India” products and innovations that can compete in global markets.
NLF works with educational institutions, students, and aspiring entrepreneurs to create awareness, motivate, train, and prepare them to become innovators and business leaders. As part of its three-year plan, NLF will engage with organizations and sensitize 100,000 youth from 100 educational institutions on entrepreneurship, with the end goal of creating 50 brands.
Speaking on the occasion, R. Sivarajah, CEO and Founder, Native Lead Foundation said, “The growing number of youth in India brings with it the challenge of gainful employment. Native Lead Foundation, in collaboration with organizations such as SAP aims to propagate entrepreneurial initiatives in colleges, and believes that the challenge of employability will be solved if the mindset of graduates changes from job seekers to job creators.”
Augmenting NLF’s initiatives, SAP India is helping students break into the technology industry – the unparalleled growth sector in India – through SAP HANA, SAP’s breakthrough in-memory platform. Employees of SAP Labs India are working with students in the NLF’s network of colleges in three phases: Learning and Education, Ideation, and Building an Enterprise.
In phase one; students are exposed to structured courses on technology, application methods, innovation techniques and enterprise processes. Recently, SAP Labs India conducted workshops on SAP HANA in 11 colleges and sensitized 750 students to the benefits of the in-memory computing platform. Following this, in the Ideation phase, students are mentored and encouraged to bring to life innovative solutions by leveraging their knowledge in the preceding phase of the engagement. In the third and final phase, students will be trained on structuring an enterprise to produce and market their products and concepts.
“A key aspect of SAP’s CSR agenda is the focus on entrepreneurship by mentoring students, emerging and growth stage start-ups. Our programs are designed to strengthen and provide thought leadership to the entrepreneurial value chain. This will help SAP achieve its mission of creating more economic opportunities in India. Through our partnership with Native Lead Foundation, we will encourage and motivate students in Tamil Nadu to embrace innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship for a better future for themselves and the country,” said Mathew Thomas, Vice President – Strategic Industries, SAP India.
