PUNE : Darshan Doshi is director, Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Flame University (Pune); director at JumpShift Development Limited, a New Zealand-based leadership development startup); and advisor at Wadhwani Foundation – National Entrepreneurship Network. Doshi graduated from Babson College (Boston) with honours and has been active in the US and Indian startup communities in various roles. Doshi is an active TiE charter member and recently chaired the 2018 TiE Healthcare Summit in Pune.

Is FLAME on fire?
Flame University is the pioneer of liberal education in India and has been established as a private university in 2014. Through its four schools — School of Liberal Education, School of Business, School of Communication and School of Fine and Performing Arts — the university is committed to developing individuals who value creativity, innovation, determination, and enterprise. The university has also established the Flame Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (FCEI) that promotes the practice of entrepreneurship by providing early-stage start-ups access to mentoring programmes, networking events, speaker series, and competitions.

That is a wide pallet to keep student skills on an even keel. How do you manage that?
Entrepreneurship is a specialised discipline. Developing an entrepreneurial mindset and skillset needs a focused programme that includes four distinct steps – inspiration, education, immersion and application. The one-year postgraduate programme in entrepreneurship and innovation recently announced by Flame University addresses all four components required for an aspiring entrepreneur to launch high impact ventures through the following four components. Discovering problems and finding solutions that work at scale are some of the key skills that each participant will imbibe and experience through the program.

What are your plans for the future?
Applications are open for the one-year postgraduate programme in entrepreneurship and innovation. We are looking for driven and mission-oriented people who want to positively impact Indians and people around the world. With India moving towards being a $5 trillion economy, it is the land of opportunities.