Mysuru: “We live in an age of profound disruption, where something is ending and dying and something else is wanting to be reborn,” said Dr. Anthony Jensen, Conjoint Lecturer, Newcastle Business School, New South Wales, Australia.

He was speaking at a lecture and interaction session organised by SBRR Mahajana First Grade College, on ‘Social Entrepreneurship and the Asian Century’ here recently.

Dr. Jensen spoke about transforming business, society and self and pointed out at the rapid far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society and said that to do these transitions requires the next ten years.

Talking about social entrepreneurs as drivers to transform the society with a value proposition, he gave an overview of emergence of Asian context of social enterprise with decline of west, end of liberalism, end of long journey of developed countries, rise of Asia and Global Financial Crisis.

He touched on Asian Capitalism in the context of five major types of business systems in Asia such as post socialist, advanced city, emerging South East Asia, advanced North East Asia and Japanese.

The lecture was reviewed by the discussants who put across their view as follows:

The first discussant Dr. C. K. Renukarya, Director, SBRR Mahajana First Grade College, PG Wing,  gave a view that India stands out to be a special, huge and diversified economy dominated by rural sector and agriculture being one of the top most occupation of the people, branded as a poor nation but spiritually strong.

“Capitalism is no longer desirable system in the world. India deserves a model envisioned by Mahatma Gandhi that is the hybrid system of Socialism and Capitalism where every human being becomes productive, is capable of earning and spending something and be happy. Hybrid of public and private sector and a huge third sector consisting of small scale and cottage industries will be the best system for India,” he said.  

The second discussant Dr. Yashavantha Dongre, Director, PMEB (Planning Management Evaluation Board), University of Mysore, began with an example of SELKO, a Bangalore-based enterprise which operates in more than twelve countries and is a cent percent business organisation which deals with alternative energy that is solar energy equipment.

He said, “This is a true social enterprise because a social need is converted into a business opportunity. India is seen as a fertile land for these types of social enterprises where NGOs are getting converted into social enterprise. Collapse of capitalism and end of liberalism in the global setup will lead to an opportunity for new system that is social enterprise which is going to occupy the vacant space,” and added, “emergence of social enterprise will be a real alternative economic system.”

Mahajana Education Society Hon. Secretary Dr. Vijayalakshmi Muralidhar,  SBRR Mahajana First Grade College CEO and Academic Advisor Dr. S. R. Ramesh, staff, students and invitees were present.