Two equally vital pillars of entrepreneurship are the ability to innovate and the skill to communicate that innovation effectively. As American business and automotive icon Lee Iacocca once said: “You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can’t get them across, your ideas won’t get you anywhere.”
Newly-crowned champion of the Perak Entrepreneurship Scholars Advancement (PERKASA) programme, Mohnish Sarveswaran, embodies both qualities in spades.
The final-year Business Administration student has become the latest QIU star to uphold our winning tradition, after his groundbreaking business proposal rose above 90 submissions from across the state.
To claim the top honour, Mohnish outshone strong competition from peers representing Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP), Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR), Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL), and the host institution, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM).
The engaging young man also walked away with the Best Business Innovation Award, bringing his total prize winnings to RM6,000 along with the winner’s trophy.
The PERKASA challenge required participants to conceptualise and implement a business project within one year. Mohnish’s winning idea revolves around an agrivoltaic system that harnesses solar energy to cultivate the Asian Pigeonwing—better known as the butterfly pea or bunga telang. These vibrant blue flowers are then processed into a herbal tea, which he has already begun commercialising.
“The innovation stood out because it has the potential to contribute to the growth of our local agriculture industry,” Mohnish explained.
He also reflected on the challenges he faced balancing classes, family duties, and working on this project in his free time.
But just like many previous QIU champions before him, Mohnish gritted his teeth and set his mind to achieve his ultimate goal.
“It’s a proud moment for me because the pathway wasn’t easy. Agriculture is known as a 3D industry—dirty, dangerous, and difficult. But I’m really grateful to my family and QIU for their support and guidance.”
A massive round of applause to Mohnish and the Faculty of Business and Management for another resounding success!
