Delhi Government Unveils ₹325 Crore Fund to Boost Student Entrepreneurship
In a significant move to foster innovation among young minds, the Delhi government has announced a dedicated corpus of ₹325 crore to support student-led startups. The announcement was made by Delhi’s Education Minister, Ashish Sood, during the Delhi Startup Youth Festival 2026, marking a major step toward building a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem in the capital.
A Five-Year Vision for 5,000 Startups
Speaking at the event, Minister Sood revealed that the allocated budget would be utilized over the next five years under the newly introduced ‘Campus-to-Market’ incubation policy. The initiative aims to nurture and support as many as 5,000 startups, providing young entrepreneurs with the resources they need to transform their ideas into viable business ventures.
The minister emphasized that the program is designed to offer comprehensive assistance, covering everything from intellectual property protection and fair valuation to access to funding and market linkages. By bridging the gap between academic concepts and commercial reality, the initiative seeks to empower students to become job creators rather than job seekers.
Festival Draws Participation from 1,000 Startups
The youth festival, organized by the Department of Training and Technical Education, was held at the Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women in Kashmere Gate. The event witnessed enthusiastic participation from nearly 1,000 startups, with around 700 teams delivering detailed presentations. From these, the top 100 student startups were selected for further mentorship and support.
During his interaction with the selected teams, Minister Sood stated that the government is actively developing a comprehensive policy framework to connect innovative ideas with real-world markets, investors, and financial institutions. He reiterated the administration’s commitment to creating an environment where student enterprises can thrive and scale sustainably.
Building on the Business Blasters Initiative
The minister also highlighted the progress of the previously launched Business Blasters program, which has already made significant strides in promoting entrepreneurial thinking at the school level. Under this initiative, 5,000 teams from 1,000 schools across Delhi were provided with ₹20,000 each as seed funding. For the current financial year, the government has allocated approximately ₹10 crore to sustain and expand this program.
Sood pointed out that in the past, multiple institutions often worked on similar startup projects in isolation, leading to duplication of efforts, wastage of resources, and unnecessary expenditure of students’ time and energy. The new coordinated policy, he asserted, would streamline innovation efforts and ensure that resources are utilized more effectively.
Encouraging a Culture of Innovation
Addressing the gathering, the education minister stressed the urgent need to cultivate a strong startup culture among the youth. He noted that with the right guidance, funding, and institutional support, students possess the potential to solve pressing societal challenges through entrepreneurship. The government’s latest initiative is expected to serve as a catalyst, encouraging more students to explore entrepreneurial paths and contribute to the region’s economic growth.
This substantial investment underscores the Delhi government’s focus on education beyond traditional academics, positioning the capital as a emerging hub for young innovators and changemakers.
