Mumbai: The Kendriya Nair Samskarika Sangh (KNSS) is expanding globally with the launch of its new wing, the Nair Business Forum (NBF), aimed at promoting entrepreneurship among the younger generation. The initiative focuses on nurturing start-ups, empowering youth, and building a strong culture of innovation and self-reliance within the community.
Last year, to develop entrepreneurship among its members, KNSS launched Nair Business Forum (NBF) to attract youngsters and provide them with self-employment skills and start-up opportunities. Recently, NBF launched its online activities, and by next year, a huge expansion is expected, according to KNSS president Harikumar Menon.
At the recent silver jubilee function of KNSS at Kalidas Hall, the chief guest,
Dr T P Sasikumar, vice chancellor of Adisankara University, Gudur (Tirupati district), scientist and formerly with the PMO, in his keynote address, said that once Kerala was a centre of creativity and learning. Great personalities like Vivekananda, Mahatma Gandhi and several others visited the state. But now, financial crises and unemployment among the youth have made Kerala economically grim. “Nobody knows where those resourceful people have gone, whether it was literature, culture, spiritual or politics,” he wondered.
Sasikumar said people in Maharashtra are really lucky; it has the highest GDP, and Kerala is in the 22nd spot. Though Kerala is home to several spiritual masters, with the erosion of the value system and lack of economic progress, the state has no futuristic vision, he lamented.
Dr S Rajasekharan Nair, businessman, MD of Janam TV and president of Bombay Keraleeya Samaj (BKS) said, “When he came to Mumbai as a struggler, he worked under a Marwadi and soon grasped business mantras. With determination and courage, I set up restaurants and hotels; my aim was to build hotels and business units in Kerala. It was with great difficulty that I established my business ventures, especially in Thiruvananthapuram,” he recounted.
“Over the years, I succeeded in setting up schools in the villages and also renovated and built a few temples in the state capital. But, by the hotel, Udaya Samudra became a landmark. So if we fight the ills of the system, we can succeed as businessmen even in Kerala,” he asserted.
Presently, about 30 Nair Samajams are affiliated with KNSS in Maharashtra. Its plan includes setting up a cultural centre in the Mumbai region and creating an educational fund, besides a medical aid fund for the economically weaker sections.
Last year, to develop entrepreneurship among its members, KNSS launched Nair Business Forum (NBF) to attract youngsters and provide them self self-employment skills and start-up opportunities. Recently, NBF launched its online activities, and by next year, a huge expansion is expected, according to KNSS president Harikumar Menon.
CP Kusumakumari, vice president, KNSS, said getting women members to work for KNSS has been difficult. “We don’t have women coming forward to take responsible positions. Youth in general are not interested in our activities. A dynamic youth wing is the need of the hour to take up the KNSS’ present activities,” she emphasised.
Raising funds for KNSS has not been easy, pointed out KNSS treasurer Sachin Menon. “We are embarking on many initiatives; NBF is one of them. Unlike other communities, our presence in business parlance is very limited. We don’t have large businessmen in our community who are willing to take up social and cultural projects,” he explained, adding that fragmented activities of the NSS units make it even more challenging, as we have to tap the same donors. Building a big KNSS community hall is the next big goal to be achieved.
At the function, several people belonging to different Nair units covering Thane, Raigad, and Palghar, besides Mumbai, were felicitated. An interesting, colourful cultural show was put up by different Nair associations. On the occasion to mark the 150 years of Vande Mataram, the song sung by Lata Mangeshkar was played for the audience.
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