MADURAI
The RISE, a three-day global summit of Tamil entrepreneurs and professionals, began here on Friday with a call to revive the entrepreneurship spirit of the glorious past of Tamils.
Setting the tone for the summit, former Chief Secretary of Haryana M.G. Devasahayam emphasised that the Tamil youth could no more be job seekers and there was a need for resurgence. He said the mendicant nature of Tamil Nadu’s economy should be uprooted and the spirit of entrepreneurship deep rooted in its place. Entrepreneurship was the only way to scale up the economy.
Honesty, dignity and integrity in trade and business, the virtues of Tamil ancestors, would facilitate democratisation and decentralisation, he said.
G. Balachandran, former Additional Chief Secretary of West Bengal, recalled how Tamil language became popular through trade and commerce in the past. If Tamil were to reach greater heights now there was a dire need to renew and rediscover its trade heritage.
C.K. Ashok Kumar, founder, First World Community, was confident that a resurgent agriculture and medium and small enterprises would herald a new world order. Ancestors of Tamils, he said, lived in the peak of civilisation in all fields but today people were reduced to the status of being job seekers.
Chozha Nachiar, president, Tamil Chamber of Commerce, said hand holding by global Tamil entrepreneurs would give strength to entrepreneurship in the State and mooted floating of international Tamil brands. Rev. Fr. Jegath Gasper Raj, who explained the objectives of the summit, was confident that the event would facilitate meaningful interaction between young and aspiring entrepreneurs of Tamil Nadu and those who had made it big at the global level. Four hundred and ten delegates from all over the world are attending the event.