NEW DELHI: Delhi government, on Tuesday, launched the senior version of its flagship Business Blasters programme, expanding the initiative from school students to college and state-funded university students.
The programme, which started as a pilot in government schools in 2021, aims to promote entrepreneurship by providing participants with seed funding and a platform to implement their business ideas.
The school-level initiative, which provided Rs 2,000 in seed funding to students in classes 11 and 12, has now evolved to offer Rs 50,000 in seed capital for college students.
Speaking at the launch event held at Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Chief Minister Atishi said, “The Business Blasters programme has shattered stereotypes about government school students and demonstrated their ability to become confident risk-takers.”
“We will provide Rs 50,000 seed money for college students who participate in this programme… We wish to see many of you on the front pages of newspapers as successful entrepreneurs who have started successful companies through the experience they gain from this programme,” said Atishi.
Atishi highlighted the success of the scheme in schools, where some participants have gone on to register private limited companies. “We hope to see many of you on the front pages of newspapers and business magazines as successful entrepreneurs,” she added.
She also stated, “Why business blasters in colleges? The dream started when we looked at the biggest, well-earning companies in the world with cutting-edge products. Many of them, across the world, have Indians filled in the tech world… Not only in tech, but in companies like Chanel, a perfume company, too, is headed by an Indian woman, Leena Nair.”
Atishi highlighted the success of the scheme in schools, where some participants have gone on to register private limited companies.
The event on Tuesday also featured remarks from IIIT Delhi director Ranjan Bose, who described the programme as a stepping stone for nurturing entrepreneurial talent. “This initiative builds on the success of the school-level programme and provides an ecosystem to channel the energy of our youth into creating cutting-edge businesses,” Bose said.