investor, and co-founder the world's largest global network of Indian
entrepreneurs, The Indus Entrepreneur (TiE), addressed the students of
Panjab University during the campus placement event, Avsar, at the Law
Auditorium, here today.

While worldover it is 2 percent of the population with entrepreneurial bug
in every country, in USA alone, Indians have done well for themselves and
constitute almost 30 percent of the new startups there.

Kanwal, who was in Chandigarh on an invitation of TiE Chandigarh & Punjab
Chapter, and who himself went to United States from India for graduate
studies and in late 60s, grew through engineering ranks in a number of
companies before cofounding his own enterprise Excelan in Silicon Valley to
commercialise Ethernet and TCP/IP standards which became the basis of
internet.

Kanwal advised the students that those interested in entrepreneurship must
give it a try but only essential thing is that one should be ready to face
failure, learn, and take up responsible for every good or bad about his
enterprise.

Talking about venture capital support for new startups, he said that money
is never a constraint for an entrepreneur with an idea and 70 percent of the
enterprises bootstrap and manage funds on their own without going for
outside investment.

Earlier Prof Arun Grover, Vice Chancellor, Panjab University, extended
welcome to Kanwal Rekhi and commended his contribution and financial support
to innovation and research in the country, as well as to numerous startups.

Prof. Grover said that Punjab is the land of entrepreneurs and many students
from here have made a name for themselves world over with their enterprising
and innovative skills.

TiE has organized a whirlwind tour for Kanwal Rekhi to interact with
students of various educational institutions including ISB, and a mentoring
session for the local entrepreneurs at the UT Guest House tomorrow evening.