He was speaking at the ‘Talk of the year’ organised by Onyx, the NEN Entrepreneurship Cell at National Institute of Engineering (NIE) here on Tuesday as part of the Entrepreneurship Week.

Observing that the golden era of the country lies ahead of us, Gopinath said that a vibrant press, strong judiciary and a mature financial and legal framework will ensure that India stays strong among the countries in the world.

He said that it was not just enough to dream. It should also be combined with venture and the courage to tread into the unknown, he added.

While stressing on the ability to take the first step, Gopinath said that the first secret of success is self trust. Stating it to be

the most important factor for success, Captain Gopinath said most of the times, people fail because they don’t listen to the inner prompting and inner gleam of light.

Follow dreams

He also said that the many people see the alienated majesty of others, while refusing to identify the qualities that they possess. It is necessary to have to have the courage to follow your dreams and be persistent, he added. Gopinath described intuition as an important aspect to become a successful entrepreneur.

Reminiscing his rise from humble beginnings as the son of a teacher in Gorur to becoming a successful business magnate, Gopinath said that when he was a 11-year-old he got his chance to join the Sainik School. Later, he joined the Indian Army and had to face the war that took place to liberate Bangladesh.

Farming

While he was shattered to see his friends die in the war, he yearned to take up farming. With just ` 6,500 he returned and decided to start farming. Later, along with farming he opened motorcycle showrooms. When once he found his colleague in the Indian Air Force working as a security guard, he thought that it was time to open helicopter services in the public domain. Even though bureaucrats created hurdles and delayed granting the license for three years, he eventually persisted and became the first private player to offer chopper services for those who could afford it.

Later, he started air services with a single aircraft. Within 45 months, he had 45 aircrafts operating in the country, he added. Gopinath advised the budding entrepreneurs that they should just follow their heart. He said, “A mind that is all logic is a knife all blade. It’ll bleed the hands that hold it.”