A sense of personal and financial independence is important for every student, because it prepares them for a self-sufficient life. Besides, college is just for six hours a day and there is so much time left to make use of,” says Madhan Kumar R, a third-year BBM student from Jain University’s Centre for Management Studies (CMS).
Madhan is an entrepreneur. Through a company he co-founded with his classmate in May this year, he supplies stationery, books, banners, posters, pamphlets, identity cards and other items to colleges, and services like automobiles, real estate, apparel among other products. All of this, he does daily for five hours after college.
Part-time employment is not new for Madhan, who has been working since pre-university. “It was not just about the money. Working part-time was the method I chose to meet new people, and the world is full of things to do,” he says. Having worked as an administrative clerk in a tutorial centre, and in an MNC, Madhan has also worked in a mall promoting consumables like refined oil.
As soon as he finishes classes by 11:30 am, Madhan heads home and works for around five hours each day, receiving orders from his clients and executing them with his co-founder and classmate Tarun and two other students from Bangalore University. Together, they deliver the goods to their customers, who place orders through social networking sites or email. During times of academic rigour, Madhan and his co-workers fill in for each other. Madhan earns between Rs 50,000 and Rs 75,000, after starting off with just Rs 10,000.
— sharadha.k@newindianexpresss.com