The West Bengal government is planning to focus on encouraging start-ups. As the first step, a television show has been lined up with a prominent channel which will be hosted by former skipper and Bengal’s icon Sourav Ganguly. The Indian Institute of Management-Calcutta (IIM-C) will join hands with the state to identify prospective start up entrepreneurs through the programme.

As one of the top B-schools in the country, IIM-C will also help the winners set up incubation facilities inside the innovation park on campus. The seed funding for the business plans identified as having prospects in future will be given by the MSME department.

More than 1,500 applications from across the state have been received. One of the criterion for selection was that the applicant needed to be based in Bengal. A business proposal that has been implemented and has an existing unit not more than three years old can also apply. The applications will be evaluated by a team comprising faculty members from IIM-C, along with industrialists. Those shortlisted will be asked to demonstrate the business proposal in person before the panel of judges. A final list of participants will then be drawn up.

In the show –Egiye Bangla -participants will showcase their business plans on which they will be judged by a panel consisting of members from the business fraternity.

Participants can make business proposals on any industry apart from gambling, tobacco, liquor, explosives and fire arms. The parameters on which the applicants will be judged will include novelty of the business plan. Any other existing company which may have implemented a similar business idea will also be judged. The idea of the show is to offer a platform to budding entrepreneurs.

In 2013, the MSME department and IIM-C had signed an agreement during the synergy meet, where the B-school agreed to be a knowledge partner in the entire journey of Shilpa Karun Bangla Gorun. Egiye Bangla is the culmination of a combined effort.

Youths from Bengal prefer to go outside the state for their higher education. People here do not take entrepreneurship as a feasible option. Historically, we prefer desk jobs or a stable job with the government sector over taking the adventurous route in career. Hence, IIM-C wanted to collaborate with the state government to inculcate aspirations among the youth, bringing entrepreneurship in as another option apart from the regular jobs.

The reality show is scheduled to be telecast from December.