We all love lists, don’t we? OK, I love lists and maybe it is just me but BusinessWeek released an interesting list of Asia’s Best Young Entrpreneurs and surprise surprise there is not even one Singaporean in the list. On the other hand, Hong Kong that is comparable to Singapore in many ways have three of their entrepreneurs in the list.

Singapore Government does a lot to promote entrepreneurship and setting up a business or a company in Singapore is a breeze. However, upon closer examination it is evident that entrepreneurship cannot just thrive solely on Governmental support. It is a mindset. It thrives in an environment where trying and failing is better than not trying at all. On the other hand, in countries like India where there is little Government support and lots of red tape, entrepreneurship seems to be flourishing. In this list, India leads the pack with 7 entrepreneurs. You may argue that India has a vast population and it is only natural that they dominate the list but I question why doesn’t the same argument hold true in sports, for example, where Indians are pathetic. Before you flame me (those who don’t know me), I’m a Singaporean PR of Indian origin but in seriousness, there are many questions that arise. How does one change the mindset of individuals (including mine) and create an environment where trying and failing is better than not venturing out at all?

Asia's Best Young Entrepreneurs Graph