Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and Minister of State for Education, Shri Jayant Chaudhary, on Wednesday called on successful entrepreneurs to become mentors for aspiring founders, saying they have a vital role in strengthening India’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. He was addressing the first-ever Alumni Connect of the National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD), organised under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) at the institute’s Noida campus. Chaudhary said entrepreneurship thrives on continuous learning and collaboration, urging alumni to share their experiences, build partnerships and inspire future entrepreneurs. During the event, he launched two NIESBUD publications—स्वावलंबनकीओर – 4, featuring entrepreneurial success stories and institutional initiatives, and Alumni Connect Volume – 1, profiling successful entrepreneurs trained under NIESBUD’s flagship programmes.
MSDE Secretary Debashree Mukherjee said India needs millions of entrepreneurs to drive innovation, generate employment and realise the vision of Viksit Bharat, while NIESBUD Director General Dr Poonam Sinha highlighted the institute’s commitment to supporting entrepreneurs throughout their business journey. The event also featured sessions by mentors from NITI Aayog on enterprise mentoring and a panel discussion on digital growth strategies, focusing on platforms such as ONDC, Meta and GeM to help entrepreneurs expand their market reach.
In Guwahati, the initiative is expected to benefit aspiring entrepreneurs and MSMEs across Assam by promoting access to mentoring, digital commerce platforms and government procurement opportunities. Business observers believe stronger engagement with networks such as NIESBUD could help startups in Guwahati scale operations, improve market access and contribute to the city’s growing entrepreneurial ecosystem. Nearly 200 entrepreneurs from 19 states, along with policymakers, mentors and industry leaders, participated in the event, which also marked the launch of the NIESBUD Alumni Network aimed at fostering long-term collaboration, knowledge sharing and business growth in support of the Viksit Bharat@2047 vision.