This year, India marks the milestone of its 70th year of independence from colonial rule. The nation has come a long way since independence. Today, India stands at the cusp of emerging as a major economic power.

The spirit of entrepreneurship has swept through the nation. Entrepreneurs in every corner of the nation are seeking to make their mark in business and society with ideas that solve very real problems. The ease of doing business index has improved as per statistics released by the World Bank in recent years and many new entrepreneurs are emerging in this ecosystem of business independence.

There are several benefits to being an entrepreneur. You are your own boss. You control the mission and values of your firm. You can achieve dizzying success, financially, and in terms of impact. The flipside is that with all this autonomy comes a very high level of responsibility, a need for commitment. Entrepreneurship also requires a leap of faith, because there are no guarantees for success.

GlobalLinker, provides entrepreneurs with the freedom and the resources to maximise their potential. The platform is a one-stop shop for SMEs looking to grow their business network. It facilitates this journey of autonomy by making business growth more simple, enjoyable and profitable.

This Independence Day, let’s celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit with some thoughts from GlobalLinker members.

Gagan Jain, Director, Sharvian Art and Fashion Pvt Ltd

"For me, as an entrepreneur, freedom means to think, express and do what I feel is right. Being an entrepreneur is an individual’s choice and is liberating. However, real freedom is freedom from our own fears and limitations. All of us are filled with possibilities. We put brackets around our potential and define limits. The fun lies in raising the bar, only then we can achieve our limitless potential and celebrate freedom.”

Mayank Singh, Co-founder & COO, EngineerBabu

“Choosing entrepreneurship is choosing a path of freedom — freedom to work on your terms, freedom to take responsibility, freedom to make your people's lives better and freedom to make life the way you want.”  

Priya Florence Shah, CEO & Founder, Blog Brandz

“To me, independence is everything, in life as well as in business. I love having the freedom to take my own decisions, without having to ask someone else's permission, to plan my own life and my goals and even to make my own mistakes without judgment.” 

Harish K Saini, Founder, Bharat Infotech

“Freedom is travelling lightly through life. I stand for freedom of expression — doing what I believe is right and going after my dreams and beliefs.”

Prasad Kulkarni, Founder-Partner, BigSwitch India

“As an entrepreneur, independence to me is the right to choose and to be able to think, speak and act independently in a free country that offers endless possibilities to those who wish to make a difference. We are truly blessed to have been born in a nation with amazing resources and a talent pool that can take us leap years ahead in terms of progress."

Andre Lobo, CEO, WorkPro Technologies

"We have been blessed with the opportunity to think freely and dream our own dreams to build something. It is a privilege our country affords us as citizens that not many others in the world do. Tagore's words hold true here - Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high. Where tireless striving stretches its arms toward perfection."

Network with SMEs mentioned in this article by clicking on the 'Invite' button on their profile. Priya Florence Shah, Harish K Saini, Mayank Singh, Gagan Jain, Prasad Kulkarni, Andre Lobo