IIM start-up training module for 2.5 lakh villagers with Rs 15-lakh film

RANCHI: IIM Ranchi will teach business management to over 2.5 lakh people in 5,000 villages of the state. Titled "Barefoot Managers Certificate Programme", the unique educational project that is beginning in July has been devised for micro entrepreneurs, unemployed youths, panchayat officials and even illiterate people.
It is a movie(video)-based 15-day certificate course.As it aims to cover over 2.5 lakh villagers, the programme will continue till 2015. The second schedule of shooting for the movie began on Thursday while the first one was over last month.
"Villagers in Jharkhand are a force with potential. Our educational programme is aimed at channelling their potential towards a fruitful endeavour," said IIM Ranchi director M J Xavier.
"Group transformation through individual endeavour is the theme of the movie. By micro-level practical business operation, we will demonstrate to villagers how poor traders turn big businessmen," said Vijay Prakash Anand, director of the movie.
With his cast and crew, Anand was in tribal-dominated Sharna village, 25-odd km away from Ranchi, to start shooting on Thursday. The total running time of the Rs 15-lakh movie is 200 minutes that will be divided into different sections.
Experts from the B-school will travel to villages and bring educated persons like teachers, micro entrepreneurs and panchayat leaders to IIM Ranchi and train them in business establishment (starting), production, promotion, branding and building trust for the brand. "These skilled leaders will then go to villages where IIM Ranchi will organize seminars on business management. After 15 days, the villagers will be declared trained," added Xavier.
Both Mumbai-based and regional actors are acting in the film that tells how people start small businesses like grocery shops, motor repair shops and roadside stalls. It will also show how they make their businesses highly profitable even with constraints. "Though many unemployed youths want to, only a few become successful in starting a business. It is because they are afraid of failures. Once they are trained, they will gain confidence," said Xavier.
Once the entire movie is shot, the IIM will hold talks with the state government to get the entire training programme sponsored. "I will make presentations to the chief secretary and officers concerned to convince them of the importance of programme for villagers. If the government agrees to sponsor it, the training programme will be free," said a senior IIM Ranchi official. If the government does not sponsor it, the educational programme will cost Rs 500 for each participant.