The Jindal School of Banking & Finance of O.P. Jindal Global University has launched a unique, industry-relevant undergraduate programme B.A. (Hons.) Finance and Entrepreneurship.

As the first of its kind in India, this programme combines coursework, which instils entrepreneurial spirit in the students with a sound theoretical understanding of, and practical exposure to, finance.

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The programme aims to train a new generation of Indian entrepreneurs who have been identified as ‘Growth Ambassadors’ by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The programme will enable students to familiarise themselves with the process of incubating a new venture, make creative contributions to existing enterprises working in the finance and financial services industry, and master the tools of finance needed to make new and existing businesses financially sustainable and scalable.

During the virtual launch event on October 16, a keynote address on “The future of finance and entrepreneurship in India” was delivered by M. Damodaran, who is currently the Chairman of the Board of IndiGo, and has previously served as the Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and the Chairman of Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI). A special address was delivered by Renu Satti, Senior Vice President at Paytm on “How digital payments can benefit entrepreneurs in India”.

C. Raj Kumar, Founding Vice Chancellor of O.P. Jindal Global University, said, “This new programme is a part of our sustained efforts at JGU to create opportunities for young people at different levels to apply the study of finance to real-world entrepreneurship, and have a far greater focus in the academic and intellectual imagination of the study of entrepreneurial finance. We believe that emerging issues at the intersection of these two fields hold immense importance to academia and the industry in a post-COVID world.”

Ashish Bharadwaj, Dean of the Jindal School of Banking & Finance said, “This BA Honors programme in Finance and Entrepreneurship has been designed based on inputs received from the JSBF International Advisory Board, which comprises of some of the senior-most bankers in the country, eminent industry professionals and academics from India and around the world. This programme will meet the needs and aspirations of young students who want to learn finance while thinking of entrepreneurial ways to contribute to society.”

Damodaran, former Chairman of SEBI, said that “Entrepreneurs are not job seekers but providers of jobs. In India, we need a large number of professionals who have a risk-taking appetite and a spark to imagine and innovate. If we can do this at an undergraduate level when young people start dreaming, then there is nothing better. The new BA in Finance & Entrepreneurship at JGU will help students move from a dream to a vision informed by knowledge.”

Renu Satti, Senior Vice President of Paytm, said that “By 2025 we expect 750 million Indians to make payments digitally. With the government’s push for digital acceptance, Paytm is driving adoption of digital payment and financial services in India. It is the right time to start this new BA Finance & Entrepreneurship programme, and the best time for students and aspiring entrepreneurs to learn how to leverage digital platforms.”

JGU has partnered with the prestigious Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania (USA) to offer a short-term study aboard programme on ‘business, finance and entrepreneurship for leaders of tomorrow’ and the students of the BA in Finance & Entrepreneurship will have the opportunity to go to the Wharton School.

Similar programmes will be offered to these students in Barcelona, London, Tel Aviv, and Sydney. International semester exchange opportunities will also be available for students of this programme in several countries including the US, UK, Germany, Australia, China, Turkey, New Zealand, Bulgaria, and Israel.

While India has a strong startup culture, there has been little emphasis on the process and methods of incubating, nurturing, and sustaining startups at an undergraduate level. Some of the major reasons why startups fail in India are the inability to raise capital, manage revenue growth, financial mismanagement, and a lack of understanding of the legal and regulatory space in which they operate. BA Honors in Finance & Entrepreneurship will focus on addressing the educational gaps and developing confidence in entrepreneurs in a timely and structured manner.

This programme embodies the vision of the Jindal School of Banking & Finance, which is to create new knowledge and build capacity in technology-led, socially relevant banking, finance, and allied fields.

Finance and Entrepreneurship, though it has gained much ground at a post-graduate level, is still an emerging and innovative undergraduate career option that marries creativity, technical skills, and critical thinking.

The programme is designed to support lifelong learning — combining the traditional hallmark of the humanities with a view to developing a practical, yet adaptable, set of financial-computational-entrepreneurial skills that lead to immediate career paths.