"Meet Madhura, woman entrepreneur." Initially, she endures it; then gently but firmly, she admonishes him. "Please introduce me as an entrepreneur. They can see I am a woman."

This quote from one of India Today's interviews of Madhura M Chatrapathy hangs on the wall of the ASCENT office at Bangalore. It speaks as much for the lady's own spirit of independence and entrepreneurship as for the organisation she embodies: Asian Centre for Entrepreneurial Initiatives (acronymed to ASCENT).

indiamarkets caught Madhura Chatrapathy on a busy office day, juggling between staff, visitors and innumerable phone calls. Understandably, given the fact that the lady has her fingers in many entrepreneurial pies. Her visiting card reveals that she is the Managing Partner, Food Associates, Bangalore, and Member Scientific Committee, EU-India Economic Cross Cultural Programme, besides having been the Rotary International Dist 3190 Governor for the year 1998-99. All this, of course, apart from being the executive trustee of ASCENT.

Here Madhura Chatrapathy talks about the spirit that triggers the flight of ASCENT and ToeHold, their initiative to uplift the artisans of Athani who make Kolhapuri footwear.

indiamarkets: Tell us about the Indian concept of entrepreneurship vis-a-vis the trend abroad. Why does it need special initiatives to foster entrepreneurship here?
Madhura Chatrapathy: There is no concept of wealth creation in India in the first place, as there is no risk-taking willingness among the populace. You could call it the residues of the millennium; as a nation, we always thought you had to either be born rich or get rich by robbing/cheating someone. So there was no concept of profit-making; it was only thought of as profiteering!

I sensed this vacuum during my first trip to the US. The kids there take their first step to entrepreneurship by setting up what they call lemonade stands. You can find 6-7 year-olds set up soda fountains, calling in their neighbours and making a small packet by charging a fee. And what's more, the children there are encouraged and patted for their effort, thus setting the pace. Back home, that's what we tell everyone who comes to us here: Don't feel guilty about making money, don't make excuses. You sure can make profits the legitimate way through your enterprise.

indiamarkets: What are the objectives and activities of ASCENT?
Madhura Chatrapathy: At ASCENT, our main objective is to develop entrepreneurial skills in people and organisations, build their self-esteem, especially among women, and a desire to excel. We also try to enable this environment through programmes and processes, to develop successful social enterprises and business entrepreneurs. In all these programmes, ASCENT uses a unique mix of successful entrepreneurs, professionals and academia volunteers and the emphasis is on training and capacity building. Our Trust has for its members who have wide experience in entrepreneurship.

ASCENT is also engaged in studies, research, seminars workshops, trainers training, project planning, evaluation, documentation and publication.

indiamarkets: What is ToeHold all about? How did it happen?
Madhura Chatrapathy: ToeHold is an initiative to uplift the artisans in Athani (a village on the Karnataka-Maharashtra border) who work on Kolhapuri leather footwear. ToeHold is the artisans' own signature brand providing stamp of quality. Traditionally, Kolhapuri are individually crafted natural leather footwear, a product of labour of an entire family: Men prepare the bottom soles and women craft the inner sole and decorative uppers. Project EnterPrice is a joint effort of CLRI and ASCENT to develop the artisans of Athani and the neighbouring areas from where the Kolhapuri chappals originate.

It all began when UNEDO commissioned a study on women in the tanning industry. When we visited Athani in that connection, we realised that the artisans were not getting their due, despite the best of their efforts. They were backward in other aspects too. (Being marginalised, both men and women artisans met no one in the eyes. Women spread their 'pallu' before the 'sahukars' and 'others' and touched their feet, the only way they new to greet.) So a few of us, including Uma Reddy and Ram Bhatt, got together, having realised that the artisans need more involvement than investment.

(ToeHold artisans are all set to secure a foot hold in the global market, adding a whole range of new designs to the existing traditional ones. They have combined modern designs and novel use of newer materials to weave a magic and create an exciting new collection which is classy yet with a uniquely ethnic touch. These include Veni, Sandals, Silken Charm, Twinkle Toes, Rustic Ramps, Innoweave and the Bantu range of collection.)

indiamarkets: Tell us more about Project EnterPrice.
Madhura Chatrapathy: The main thing about this project is that it is people-centered, not product-centered. We believe in converting artisans into entrepreneurs. Nowhere does ASCENT have any stake, any commercial angle. In fact, there is no ASCENT branding, no individual names brought out anywhere in the project. The ASCENT volunteers help out the artisans to develop a focus on the market end and a business approach. And then, though it is a a women-centered project, both men and women participate in all the capacity-building activities. In fact, we see to it that men are not disempowered. There are no negative statements, no aggression, unlike in other similar projects. After all, they too play an important role in crafting the footwear. So, while sending the artisans to fairs abroad or elsewhere in the country, they are sent as couples. Men are involved in all aspects, except the ownership of ToeHold, which belongs exclusively to the women. However, men too are now trying to form their own Self Help Groups. These factors has brought about a social change of sorts in Athani. We have no figures to prove it, but alcoholism among men has come down drastically.

indiamarkets: Is ASCENT trying to replicate the Athani example elsewhere?
Madhura Chatrapathy: Yes, the silk sector and the food sector are the other areas we are trying to reach out.

indiamarkets: The recent budget had nothing special for the handicrafts sector. Do you think the Government is not doing enough?
Madhura Chatrapathy: The Government is doing lots, but not the right things. Craft is an applied art; it should not stay confined to melas and crafts fairs. We need innovations, designers to reach out to the masses, like the ones abroad. Of late, however, NID and NIFT are involving themselves in this effort. Unless we innovate, who would want to keep buying the same old thing?