Expolanka: Nurturing a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship

Expolanka Group launched the Expolanka-APIIT Entrepreneurship Incubation Programme on Saturday at the APIIT Law School with a keynote address by Aslam Omar on the psyche of the entrepreneur and the spirit to forge ahead with vision.

Powered by the innovative and entrepreneurial Expolanka Group, the aim of the project is to develop an incubator program under which students and graduates with entrepreneurship qualities will be provided an option to enable them to develop innovative start-up companies that are geared for strong growth.

Omar, Director, Brandix Lanka Limited, making the keynote speech at the launch ceremony, highlighted the inherent qualities of an entrepreneur and what sets them apart from the rest. A few key characteristics he mentioned were passion, honesty, integrity, focus and determination.

On the last point, Omar stressed that entrepreneurs should be more open to share ideas with organisations that have resources to convert these ideas into realities. He also stressed on the importance of respect, integrity and honour in teamwork.

Under the programme, a series of workshops will be conducted by various experts from the industry on subjects related to start-ups and idea generation. This will provide the students with an exposure to industry best practices and allow the students to network with top managers.

Speaking at the event, APIIT Lanka CEO Dr. Athula Pitigala Arachchi stated that entrepreneurship education was becoming popular worldwide not only in business programmes but across all disciplines. While pointing out the importance of entrepreneurship skills for all professionals, he expressed his gratitude towards Expolanka for coming forward to assist APIIT students to generate business ideas and translate business concepts into business start-ups.

Dr. Pitigala Arachchi stated that increasingly universities were becoming entrepreneurial and collaborated more with the industry, providing consultancy services and establishing and operating business enterprises.  He stated that the Expolanka-APIIT partnership would help APIIT to become a leading entrepreneurial higher education institute in the country.

At the end of the training cycle, the participant will be required to develop a business proposal which will be presented to a selection panel consisting of Expolanka’s senior management.

The selection procedure will consist of determining the innovativeness and the commercial value of the initiative. Selection committees will test the plan and will then decide on successful proposals. Speaking on the initiative, Expolanka Head of Business Development Abdullah Kassim said: “Clear vision, risk taking ability, and a willingness to jump into the unknown is, in essence, entrepreneurialism. As a group rooted in this spirit, this project is very close to our hearts.”

Harking back to his undergraduate days, Kassim encouraged the students to think of this era as the “end of the beginning of your life” and encouraged them to take charge of their talent and potential and forge ahead.

“Expolanka will provide seed capital and act as a venture capitalist for the best ideas generated from this project to grow and become the next big thing,” he concluded.

The partners behind the initiative, Expolanka Holdings and APIIT Sri Lanka, believe that the Expolanka-APIIT Entrepreneurship Programme will provide enterprising students with a platform for converting potentially innovative ideas into commercial business plans, and gear the students for a more realistic view of the business environment and increase their employability in the job space.

It would also foster an environment of entrepreneurship, creativity and knowledge sharing among students and create a sustainable model that provides value for the Expolanka Group, APIIT Lanka and young entrepreneurs alike.