Entrepreneurship has come under the spotlight in many countries over the past decades and it has prompted the governments to adopt some new policies for promotion of entrepreneurship in their societies.

Institutionalizing the culture of entrepreneurship, as well as supporting and motivating the entrepreneurs have been some successful approaches in this due.

While the public view on the issue of entrepreneurship is that it is a duty of the governments, many experts believe that although the government should lay the proper ground and develop the necessary infrastructures, the private sector is in fact in charge of entrepreneurship in the societies.

In Iran, the chambers of commerce, as some independent business supporting organizations, always endeavor to facilitate business environment for the businessmen and traders through preparing the required infrastructures and laying the necessary ground for their activities.

Creating incentives for the entrepreneurs is also added to the efforts of the chambers to elevate the national economy through promotion of entrepreneurship in the country.

TCCIMA awarding Amin al-Zarb prize

Of the inspiring measures of the chambers for the promotion of entrepreneurship it could be referred to awarding Amin al-Zarb badge of entrepreneurship to exemplary entrepreneurs of the country by Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (TCCIMA).

The prize was first awarded in a ceremony in January 2017 on the occasion of the 133rd establishment anniversary of TCCIMA and the second ceremony for awarding the prize was held in January 2018 concurrent with the 134th establishment anniversary of the chamber.

In this year’s ceremony, the Amin al-Zarb badge of entrepreneurship was awarded to two exemplary entrepreneurs of the country. It was also awarded to two pioneer entrepreneurs of the industry sector, two young entrepreneurs, two directors with long-time experience in initiating production activities, and one researcher to honor their endeavors in promoting the national economy.

TCCIMA Head Masoud Khansari, Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA) Head Gholam-Hossein Shafe’i, Industry, Mining and Trade Minister Mohammad Shariatmadari and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif were present in this year’s event.

The mentioned prize is named after Mohammad-Hassan Amin al-Zarb, a highly influential Iranian businessman (born in 1856), who was the first private sector investor in Iran and set up the first union of private sector in the country. He was one of the most famous and influential entrepreneurs of Iran with many prominent achievements in entrepreneurship.

ICCIMA holding conferences on entrepreneurship

Another measure to institutionalize the culture of entrepreneurship throughout Iran is holding some conferences on entrepreneurship by the chambers of commerce, among them it could be referred to holding three editions of ‘Entrepreneurship, National Resistance and Sustained Development Conference’ by ICCIMA.

The event, held by Training and Research Institute of ICCIMA, addresses experts in the sectors of industry and services, state-run organizations, scientific and research units, as well as directors of enterprises, producers, and directors of service-offering units.

While holding some specialized panels and meetings on different subjects related to entrepreneurship, the third edition of the conference, which was held on December 16, 2017, presented the experiences of some exemplary entrepreneurs of the country and honored 65 exemplary entrepreneurs in the end.

Supporting startups on agenda

ICCIMA head has announced that supporting the startups is an agenda of Iranian chambers of commerce and the chambers are planning for offering required financial and intellectual aids to these entrepreneurial ventures.

Shafe’i has said that the chambers of provinces are taking serious measures for cooperation with the related organizations to facilitate the activity of startups.

Startups’ activities will be supported by the ICCIMA from the idea to the commercialization, according to Hooman Hajipour, the deputy for businesses at TCCIMA.

“We are planning to identify the startups to introduce them to the potential investors”, he has remarked.   

“Entrepreneurs are national honors”

TCCIMA head sees the entrepreneurs some national honors because they have managed to create thousands of jobs for the youth during the years of sanctions against the country’s economy.

And the head of ICCIMA believes that ‘effectiveness’ is something that gives the renowned entrepreneurs such as Amin al-Zarb an everlasting name that will endure forever.