To be successful, new entrepreneurs need the right knowledge, skills, role models, mentoring and contacts.

The National Entrepreneurship Network (NEN) is a network of academic institutions across India performing research and developing and delivering world-class education, skill-building programs, networking activities and company-starting assistance to new, high-growth entrepreneurs.

Status
NEN was launched in 2003 through an India-wide selection process to select the Founding Partner Institutions to anchor this network. The five NEN Partners are:

	Birla Institute of Technology and Science - Pilani
	Indian Institute of Technology - Bombay
	Indian Institute of Management - Ahmedabad
	Institute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology - Bangalore
	S P Jain Institute of Management and Research - Mumbai

NEN Advisors who selected the Founding NEN Partners are:
Ms. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Mr. Jerry Rao, Ms. Naina Lal Kidwai, Mr. Sunil Mittal, Mr. Harsh Mariwala, Prof. Howard Stevenson, and Dr. Romesh Wadhwani.

Goal
NEN’s goal is to launch 2,500 entrepreneurs who will create a minimum of 500,000 jobs by 2014. This will create as much value for the Indian economy over the next 10 years as the IT industry has over the past 15.

Strategy
NEN will inspire thousands of talented individuals to choose entrepreneurship, and equip them to build companies that are more successful, on a larger scale, creating 100,000’s of new jobs. A crucial part of NEN is the network. Linking institutions in a formal network allows for a whole much larger than the sum of the parts.

Every participating institution will be able to leverage the resources created by other NEN partners, allowing for enhanced offerings. Participation in joint activities creates opportunities for larger networks, and continued sharing of ideas. The NEN interaction will significantly enhance the effectiveness, quality, scale and reach of each individual participant in the network.

Research performed by NEN partners will increase our understanding of the needs, contributions and characteristics of entrepreneurs and their ventures. This in turn will allow for the development of ever-more effective world-class offerings tailored for emerging markets. NEN Partners and NEN Affiliates will offer courses, course content and cases, experiential learning opportunities such as internship, networking events, mentorship programs, company starting assistance including incubation.