The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has extended the registration deadline for its flagship national innovation platform, Navachar Mantra, to July 15, 2026, in response to overwhelming interest from innovators and aspiring entrepreneurs across the country. The move is expected to widen participation and help more innovators transform promising ideas into scalable business ventures. Thousands of registrations have already been received through the official portal, with the extended window likely to attract an even larger pool of applicants and innovative proposals from across India.
Implemented by the National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD) under the aegis of MSDE, Navachar Mantra is being supported by the Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT), IIT Delhi, as its Knowledge Partner. The initiative offers a comprehensive entrepreneurship ecosystem, including expert mentoring, incubation support, industry partnerships, investor connect, institutional handholding and market access to help participants refine, validate and commercialise their ideas into sustainable enterprises.
Conceived to bridge the gap between innovation and enterprise, the programme aligns with the Government of India’s vision of fostering innovation-led growth, nurturing job creators and strengthening the country’s startup ecosystem. It also seeks to encourage participation from students, startups, professionals and grassroots innovators, including those from Tier-II, Tier-III and rural India, making entrepreneurship more inclusive and accessible.
In Guwahati, the extension is expected to benefit the city’s growing startup ecosystem, particularly entrepreneurs working in agri-tech, tourism, healthcare, digital services and social innovation. Startup incubators, higher educational institutions and aspiring founders across Assam and the Northeast are likely to leverage the additional time to submit quality proposals, while the programme’s mentorship, investor connect and market access could open new opportunities for regional ventures to scale nationally and attract investment.