Even Without Large Capital, Students Can Become Entrepreneurs in the Digital Era

JAKARTA – Indonesia’s massive digital transformation is opening wide opportunities for students to enter the world of entrepreneurship early without needing large capital. This phenomenon is driven by the growth of the creative economy and the continuous increase in technology adoption in Southeast Asia, including Indonesia as one of its largest markets. The Head of the Jatiwaringin Campus at Universitas Nusa Mandiri (UNM), Bryan Givan, explained that the current digital era allows students to create creative and easily scalable businesses. “The digital era provides great opportunities for students to become entrepreneurs from an early stage. By leveraging technology, students can create creative and scalable businesses,” Bryan stated in a written release received on Tuesday (22/4/2026). Based on research from e-Conomy SEA by Google, Temasek, and Bain & Company, the value of the national digital economy is projected to continue growing to reach hundreds of billions of dollars in the coming years. This condition is marked by the proliferation of business sectors such as e-commerce, digital marketing, and the creative content industry, which can be managed from anywhere. According to Bryan, courage to try and sensitivity in reading opportunities are the main capitals for the young generation to compete in a fast-moving market. “Courage to try, sensitivity in reading opportunities, and digital skills are the main keys to compete in this fast-paced era,” he added. As a Digital Business Campus, UNM is striving to facilitate this trend through a practice-based curriculum and a supportive ecosystem such as business incubators. Student startup development programmes and digital skills training are offered to ensure that innovative ideas do not stop at the lecture bench but can directly impact society. Support from platforms like social media and marketplaces is also seen as easing students in marketing products without needing a physical shop. Closing his statement, Bryan reminded that becoming an entrepreneur is not just about starting a business, but about building a resilient and adaptive character. “The combination of technology mastery and entrepreneurial spirit is expected to give birth to young talents who not only seek jobs but also create new job opportunities in the future,” he concluded.