COPE Entrepreneurship: Nurturing the Next Generation of Innovators

The Centre of Professional Excellence (COPE) in Entrepreneurship at the School of Commerce and Management Studies (PG) Dayananda Sagar University was established with a clear purpose. To inspire and empower students to adopt an entrepreneurial mindset. At SCMS, entrepreneurship is one of the school’s core pillars, and COPE serves as the dedicated platform to translate this vision into action for both MBA and Executive MBA students.

At its core, COPE emphasises that entrepreneurship is not merely about starting businesses; it is a way of thinking—an ethos of curiosity, resilience, and problem-solving. In today’s VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) world, success depends on the ability to adapt, innovate, and reimagine challenges as opportunities.

Through its programs and initiatives, COPE seeks to nurture these qualities, encouraging students to look beyond conventional placement-driven goals and explore the broader canvas of entrepreneurial possibilities.

Objectives of COPE Entrepreneurship include:

• Building awareness and appreciation for the entrepreneurial journey.
• Equipping students with tools to analyse business opportunities, models, and challenges.
• Creating avenues to interact with founders, innovators, and thought leaders.
• Enabling hands-on exposure through ideathons, internships, and startup collaborations.

Over the past year, COPE has rolled out several impactful initiatives. The Startup Spark Newsletter—a fortnightly publication—keeps students connected with emerging trends and insights from the startup ecosystem.

The Lecture Series has featured eminent entrepreneurs such as K. Ganesh (Big Basket), Dr Ajai Chowdhary, and Arjun Malhotra (co-founders of HCL), among others, providing students with direct access to entrepreneurial journeys and lived wisdom.

The annual Business Plan Competition/Ideathon challenges students to put their creativity and analytical skills into practice, competing with peers across leading management institutes.

COPE also emphasises building bridges between students and entrepreneurs through initiatives like Student–Entrepreneur Connect, where students interview founders and learn firsthand about resilience, innovation, and leadership. Collaborations with incubators such as DERBI and AIC-DSU further provide opportunities for mentorship, incubation, and growth.

 In essence, COPE Entrepreneurship is more than a centre—it is a movement within SCMS to foster mindset, skills, and networks that prepare students not just to seek jobs but to create them.