Entrepreneurship is not a choice, but a national necessity, says founder-Chairman of Cyient Mohan Reddy

Bifurcation has put Andhra Pradesh at a disadvantage with limited development in the last 10 years. Though the strength of the State lies in its human resources, the government needs to put in place supporting infrastructure to make optimum use of the talent pool.

“The State government is now focused on building this infrastructure, and once it’s in place, human resources and infrastructure will work in tandem like a ‘jugalbandi’, producing something truly remarkable,” says founder-Chairman of Cyient and Padma Shri recipient B.V.R. Mohan Reddy.

Cyient had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the representatives of the All-India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) here on Wednesday to establish an innovation cluster in Visakhapatnam.

Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Mohan Reddy says the project’s aim is to promote entrepreneurship, as it generates jobs, drives innovation, and creates wealth.

“It builds ecosystems that support long-term growth. That’s why this is a passion project for me. Even after stepping down from my operational role at Cyient, I’ve continued to work on initiatives to foster innovation and entrepreneurship, including the BVR SCIENT (School of Innovation and Entrepreneurship) at IIT-Hyderabad,” Mr. Mohan Reddy says.

“To truly move the needle, we need to build entrepreneurship at scale. But departments have limited budget and corporates can do only limited stuff. So we can start at one place and scale it up later,” he says, and explains why he chose to begin in Visakhapatnam.

“Cyient has a strong presence in the Port City, with around 1,000 employees and good infrastructure, making it a logical starting point. Once a pilot succeeds, governments can step in and expand it,” he avers. Partnering with AICTE gives us reach across engineering institutions in the country. It’s a powerful synergy, he adds.

Objectives

On the key indicators of success he envisions over the next few years out of the project, he says its too early to assign numbers. “We have outlined two major objectives. First, we must instil an entrepreneurial mindset in our youth. That doesn’t always mean starting a business. It’s about thinking like an owner, having purpose, accountability, and a drive to create value. This mindset can significantly raise productivity. The second objective is to improve outcomes from existing incubation centers in colleges,” he says.

“Many institutions have incubators simply to tick boxes. There’s often no real output. We want to change that by involving industry mentors, not just professors, and helping students understand go-to-market strategies, business planning, and product-market fit. We will help them in terms of market access,” Mr. Mohan Reddy says.

Funding

To ensure long-term continuity of the project, he says the funding will be both through Cyient’s CSR arm and his family Foundation.

“We are serious about outcomes,” he stresses, citing the example of his organisation’s work with 34 government schools in Telangana. “We have achieved 56% girl child enrolment, up from much lower numbers,” he says, pointing out that recently 54 of the total 100 students in the Telangana Board’s 10th grade results came from his schools. “Our approach is driven by measurable outcomes,” he reiterates.

About the role of the industry, he says it will be primarily of knowledge partners. “They can offer subject matter expertise, business mentoring, and marketing know-how. Their experience is invaluable in guiding students from ideation to product.”

Speaking about student support, he says it will begin with stimulating curiosity. “Why can’t we do this differently?” From there, innovation emerges, followed by entrepreneurship,” he says, informing Cyient is working with the State government to rethink curricula and pedagogy. “This isn’t just about awareness; it’s about practical skill-building and hands-on experience,” he says.

Inclusivity

Mr. Mohan Reddy says inclusivity is central to his mission. “Many of the institutions we are working with are located in rural or semi-urban areas. We are actively working to ensure that similar outreach happens through the innovation cluster, especially in northern Andhra Pradesh and other underserved regions,” he says. On possible replication of the project, he says scalability will depend on funding.

Mr. Mohan Reddy opines that for a nation like India, entrepreneurship is no longer a choice, it’s an imperative. “We have the advantage of demographic dividend, but it is also a challenge of creating enough jobs. Our ambition of becoming a Viksit Bharat by 2047 makes entrepreneurship a national necessity,” he signs off.

Published - June 12, 2025 06:57 pm IST