UK TEN member Karan Bilimoria, the founder of Cobra Beer, has been named the first ‘national champion’ of the newly formed National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship (NCGE).
The government-led initiative, which aims to establish starting a business as a viable career choice for graduates was launched in September by Gordon Brown. Bilimoria will head a NCGE programme called Flying Start, which will visit universities across the country with a view to developing graduate business ideas to the stage where they are ready for investment.
Bilimoria thought up the idea for Cobra Beer while still a student and started it in 1989 despite a £20,000 post-university debt. Even though he started off selling cases from the back of his battered 2CV, Bilimoria’s belief that Britain needed an extra smooth, less gassy beer to accompany Indian food has seen him grow Cobra Beer into a £65 turnover business.
Excited by the challenge of convincing more students to go it alone, Bilimoria said: “For a graduate starting a career, entrepreneurship is possibly one of the toughest, but definitely one of the most rewarding careers. I am both proud and delighted to be promoting entrepreneurship as a career path and supporting the UK’s budding entrepreneurs and future leaders.” Bilimoria will be sharing his story and vision, From 2CV to CBE, at the next UK TEN networking evening on March 8 2005. For more information, visit www.ukten.net/events or to reserve your place contact Sally Pitts on 0870 242 1078 or email sally@ukten.net