Three-Day Entrepreneurship Development Program

A three-day Entrepreneurship Development Program was conducted from 21st to 23rd August 2025 at the EDC House, Panaji, for third-year Civil Engineering students of Don Bosco College of Engineering. The program was sponsored by EDC Limited, Government of Goa, and the students were accompanied by Prof. Jeffery Valadares and Prof. Vanessa Fernandes.

Day 1 (21st August 2025):
The program commenced with an inaugural session followed by sessions led by industry experts. Mr. Sivan Ambattu, founder of the ILO SIYB programme in India, introduced students to the essence of entrepreneurship, the development process, entrepreneurial motivation, and competencies. This was followed by Mr. Elton Andrade’s session on soft skills for business, including communication, negotiation, information sourcing, and stakeholder management. Ms. Durva then guided students on business opportunity identification, business planning, and the Business Model Canvas.

Day 2 (22nd August 2025):
The second day featured CA Shailesh Usgaonkar, who provided insights into banking, accounting, finance, and financial management. He also introduced students to accounting concepts, finance basics, and the preparation of detailed project reports. Mr. Lee Ferrao conducted a session on legal and compliance aspects of business, covering ownership types, licensing, taxes, and employee laws. The day concluded with Mr. John Desouza’s session on government schemes and support institutions available to entrepreneurs.

Day 3 (23rd August 2025):
The final day began with a Passion Test conducted by Mr. Ajay Gramopadhye, where students learned to craft and present elevator pitches. He also shared insights on structuring effective business pitches. This was followed by an interactive session on design thinking and innovation by Mr. Ryan Vaz. The concluding session on digital marketing in business, conducted by Ms. Rutuja S., emphasized the role of social media, branding, and building brand identity. The program ended with feedback from both students and faculty.

The Entrepreneurship Development Program proved to be a successful initiative in cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset among students. It enhanced their knowledge of business processes while encouraging creativity, innovation, and risk-taking abilities. Students expressed enthusiasm to explore entrepreneurial ventures further with the guidance of mentors and support from EDC.