Inkopontren Cultivates Santri Entrepreneurs to Boost the National Economy

Jakarta — the Induk Koperasi Pondok Pesantren (Inkopontren) nurtures santri with an interest in entrepreneurship, or santripreneurs, to bolster the national economy. Inkopontren’s General Chairman KH Marsudi Syuhud disclosed that there are currently 42,000 pesantren in Indonesia. If this vast potential can be optimised, its economic impact would be extremely significant for the nation’s self-reliance.

He stressed the importance of boosting the ratio of entrepreneurs in Indonesia, whose population now approaches 300 million. This step aligns with the noble values in Islamic teachings.

‘This is the teaching of our religion, how we can become the largest payers of zakat, the largest donors in charity, and the largest taxpayers for the state,’ he said.

Marsudi explained that the santri are, in fact, intellectuals already equipped with solid knowledge of Sharia-compliant economics. A third of the contents of turats (classical Islamic texts) studied in pesantren concerns muamalah (the rules of economic activity).

In practice, Inkopontren has formed concrete cooperation with the Desa/Kelurahan Merah Putih Village Cooperatives to advance the people’s economy. Pesantren are directed to apply the concept of entrepreneurship in real terms so that they are not merely workers, but owners of businesses (bosses) who can create jobs.

‘Yad ul ulya khairum min yadis sufla (the hand above is better than the hand below). Becoming an entrepreneur who empowers many employees is much better,’ Marsudi said.

He expressed appreciation to all parties that continue to support the entrepreneurship ecosystem within pesantren, where, at present, Inkopontren’s business lines are showing a positive trend across various sectors.