The target group refers to the group of persons for whom the EDP is designed and undertaken each and every target group has its own needs, requirements and aspirations.
The programme designed for one group may be useless for other groups. Therefore, the target Group to be trained and developed must be clearly defined before the EDP is designed and started. The following types of target group may be considered before starting and EDP.
1. Technical and other qualified persons:
This group includes the persons having technical knowledge of a particular course. The persons may be degree or diploma holders in science, ITI, engineering and technology.
The government and semi-government agencies operate special EDP and scheme of assistance for this group. The EDP for this group is designed to enable and help them to set-up their own manufacturing units.
The enterprises selected for this purpose are directly related to their technical qualification and experience.
Ex-servicemen are the persons who are retired from army, navy and air-force. These persons have acquired many useful skills and experience during their service period. They are highly disciplined, hard working, enterprising and innovative. They can also become successful entrepreneurs after proper entrepreneurial training.
The Government of India offer special incentives and facilities in order to rehabilitate them. Many ex-servicemen are operating their manufacturing training and service enterprises successfully in two countries.
3. Business executives:
After getting sufficient business experience, some business executives want to start their independent business enterprises.
They have innovative ideas and may not be satisfied with their present economic and social entrepreneurs after getting entrepreneurial training.
4. Women entrepreneurs:
The Government of India is encouraging women to participate in business activities. Women are entering into business world in large numbers.
Several government and non-government agencies are specially, organizing entrepreneurial training programmes for women.
5. S.C. and S.T., entrepreneurs:
Government of India is committed to uplift the scheduled caste (S.C.) and scheduled tribe (S.T.). Various government and non-government agencies give preference to S.C. and S.T. entrepreneurs to attend EDP.
Special arrangements are made to provide them concessional loans to set up their enterprises.
The characteristics or qualities which make the entrepreneurs successful are known as entrepreneurial competencies. The possession of certain knowledge, skill, trait and quality called entrepreneurial competencies help the entrepreneurs to perform entrepreneurial activities successfully.
In other words, the qualities, traits and characteristics possessed by an entrepreneur which result in superior performance are called the entrepreneurial competencies and are developed through entrepreneurial development programme.