Aspiring entrepreneurs told to start small and focus on market

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District Industries Centre general manager Benedick William John inaugurating ‘my job, my business’ seminar organised by INMECC and KIF in Palakkad on Wednesday.

Aspiring entrepreneurs should start with minimal investment, choose products with a proven market, and keep profit at the centre of their business plans, speakers at an entrepreneurship seminar in Palakkad said on Tuesday (September 29, 2026).

“Every big business started small. Name any big business and you will find a humble beginning,” said N.M. Sharafudeen, chairman of Indo Gulf and Middle East Chamber of Commerce (INMECC), at ‘my job, my business’ seminar organised jointly by INMECC and the Kanjikode Industries Forum (KIF).

T.S. Chandran, former Deputy Director of the Industries and Commerce department, advised young people to choose products that had a market and begin with the smallest possible investment.

“Profit should be the fundamental objective of any business,” Mr. Chandran said. He called for continuous innovation, product diversification and expansion into wider markets.

He also cautioned aspiring entrepreneurs against taking loans and entering into partnerships without careful consideration. “Apply extreme care when buying technology and machinery,” he said, particularly while purchasing used machinery.

Benedict William Johns, general manager of the District Industries Centre, Palakkad, inaugurated the seminar. INMECC Kerala chapter secretary Younus Ahamed welcomed the gathering. KIF president Sajeev Kumar and joint secretary Mohammed Asif spoke.

Mr. Chandran and his team conducted sessions on business opportunities, procedures for starting enterprises, government approvals, schemes of the Industries department, subsidies, bank loans and other financial assistance.

A panel discussion followed with Midhu Unnikrishnan, chief operating officer of IIT Palakkad Techin; K.P. Khalid, managing director of Cutie Group; and T.C. Jayashanker, managing director of Jayon Implants.

The seminar targetted jobseekers, students, NRIs, women and aspiring entrepreneurs. It sought to provide practical guidance on finding employment opportunities and starting and developing small businesses. “INMECC will follow this up. We are using our resources to help the aspirants,” said Mr. Ahamed.

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