The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), along with Aditya Birla Capital Foundation (ABCF) and Pilani Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Society (PIEDS) of BITS Pilani, on Thursday launched the Navonmesh Protsahan Spardha: Kaushalta se Udyamita, an innovation and start-up challenge aimed at fostering entrepreneurship among students of National Skills Training Institutes (NSTIs). The initiative, managed by PIEDS and supported under ABCF’s CSR programme, will target over 10,000 NSTI students pursuing skill training across 33 NSTIs in India, including NSTI(W) centres dedicated to women. The challenge will focus on innovation in IT/ITeS, automotive, apparel, electronics & hardware, power, and capital goods sectors, offering mentoring, resources, prizes and incubation to help students turn ideas into market-ready ventures.
Highlighting the significance, MSDE Secretary Debashree Mukherjee said, “Every skilled individual carries the potential to become a job creator… this challenge will empower young innovators to transform ideas into sustainable ventures, strengthening India’s Aatmanirbhar vision.”
The initiative could strengthen the Northeast’s skill ecosystem, particularly as the region sees rising demand for trained talent in manufacturing, IT services, and electronics repair in Guwahati. Local skill centres and emerging start-up hubs in Guwahati are expected to benefit as NSTI-trained innovators explore entrepreneurship, potentially boosting employment and MSME growth in Assam. The programme also seeks to address the limited innovation support available to the technical and vocational education segment, which includes over 13 lakh students across ITIs and NSTIs nationwide.