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HDCF is a forum with a difference helping entrepreneurs network, guiding and mentoring start ups, and small companies to possibly expand.
The Hyderabad Director/CEO Forum is barely two years old but has a carved a niche working with young entrepreneurs, networking for them and facilitating match making — be it for business-to-business deals, finance or demystifying finance related concerns.
A registered not-for profit society, it has over 1,300 Directors and CEOs as its members. It functions as a networking platform. By conducting conferences and events that help bridge gaps, like the one on “Sources of finance for StartUps and fast growing SMEs,” the forum hand-holds and guides them.
“In fact, mentoring is a key aspect of our objectives. Be it tips on how to make the presentation to raise funds, or finding the right place to secure funds, the forum team helps them,” Raghunath Akasam, Vice President of the HDFC, said.
“We have grown up the hard way and believe that we can share our learning and expertise which is extremely vital. When an expert team drawn from different areas of specialisation serves as a mentor, it is much easier for an entrepreneur, compared to going to different locations,” he said.
For entrepreneurs, it is a tough finding resources be it finance or in other areas.
For entrepreneurs looking at investors, it is said, “When it is sunny, investors provide umbrellas. But when it rains, they withdraw them (umbrellas).”
S. Vijay Venkatesh of Syscon, a technology service provider, said, “It has been about an year with the Forum, I enjoy being part of it where members from different businesses converge.”
Anuradha Ravirala, Executive Member of the Forum, says, “The network is getting bigger by the day. Our monthly networking event Confluence, and Reflections, a programme where members converge and discuss topics of current issues and concerns, are attracting more members to the fold.”
The Forum has collaborations with JNTU, Hyderabad and IIT-Kharagpur, for conducting entrepreneurial development programme and to mentor aspiring entrepreneurs.
rishikumar.vundi@thehindu.co.in
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