The 7th Bhawanipur Business Meet

“Business opportunities are like buses, there’s always another one coming.”

-Richard Branson

The Bhawanipur Entrepreneurship and Start-up Training (BEST) collective of The Bhawanipur Education Society College organised its 7th Bhawanipur Business Meet (BBM) on September 13, 2025, from 10:30 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. in the Concept Hall of the college campus.

Mr. Devansh Kapoor, Founder & Director of BBM, offered valuable advice on crafting and delivering impactful business pitches. The event was made possible with the combined efforts of the collective’s founding members, namely Esha Khanna, Vedant Gupta, Bakshish Singh, Shivani Jain, and Abhiroop Sarkar.

He revealed that BBM had achieved a cumulative turnover of one lakh before the guest speaker, Mr. Rahul Agarwal, shared his journey—from joining an insurance company as a fresher in college in 2001 to now aspiring to build the first listed insurance company. He also spoke about writing his book, “The Ideal Entrepreneur: An Idiot’s Guidebook to Building a 300 Cr Company,” to help entrepreneurs succeed. He stressed the importance of networking, PR, mentorship, and overcoming fundraising challenges, alongside the continuous cycle of learning and unlearning.

Mr. Agarwal emphasised the importance of investing in oneself during the early stages of college—exploring one’s skills and purpose while also valuing parents’ wisdom, staying dynamic, and starting networking and PR early. He highlighted mentorship as a key factor in an entrepreneur’s journey, describing mentors as individuals with greater experience and perspective who can help shorten the curve of mistakes. He added that mentors can come from various spheres—family, academia, or industry—and should be changed periodically as one grows and evolves.

While discussing roadblocks, he underscored the importance of gaining hands-on experience before venturing into independent pursuits. He reflected on the realities of entrepreneurship: minimising personal expenses, reinvesting profits into the business, accepting criticism as part of the process, and seeking diverse life experiences to build resilience and creativity. He described entrepreneurship as a journey of discipline and sacrifice, where expenses must be kept to a minimum and criticism must be embraced as part of growth. He further stressed networking, leveraging social media, establishing clear SOPs, and maintaining positive unit economics. He advised choosing the right people and aligning visions with co-founders.

Following this, a Q&A session was organised, where members raised their concerns. While clarifying their doubts, Mr. Agarwal mentioned that self-doubt is natural and constant, recommended bootstrapping only with solid backup funds, and stressed that execution matters more than ideas. He encouraged the use of social media platforms to build visibility, hiring when required, and continuously investing in learning, as every effort ultimately compounds towards success.

Towards the end, a pitching round was conducted where members presented their business ideas, clearly defining their vision for their businesses and industries. The meet showcased remarkable diversity, ranging from FMCG products to ventures focused on heavy-duty steel transportation, reflecting the entrepreneurial spirit of the gathering.

The event concluded with the Vice-Principal of the Department of Commerce (Morning), Prof. Minakshi Chaturvedi, felicitating Mr. Agarwal, marking a graceful end to the meet.

REPORTER – Aanya Singh