Kushal business challenge (KBC): State-level youth start-up summit held in Panchkula

CHANDIGARH: The state-level summit of the Kushal Business Challenge (KBC), a youth start-up festival was held with great enthusiasm on Tuesday at Indradhanush stadium, Panchkula. Haryana education minister Mahipal Dhanda attended the event as the chief guest, while the guest of honour was Dr I V Subba Rao, a retired IAS officer of the 1979 batch.

The programme was organised by the Haryana School Education Project Council under the Samagra Shiksha scheme, in collaboration with SCERT Haryana and the Udhyam Learning Foundation .

The initiative aims to foster entrepreneurship alongside formal education among Class XI and XII students, providing them with practical exposure to the entrepreneurship ecosystem and core business concepts.

The event was divided into two major segments. In the first, 66 state-level shortlisted student teams showcased their business models through exhibition stalls. Industry experts, educators, senior officials and the education minister himself interacted extensively with the students, discussing revenue generation, marketing strategies, cost management and future scalability.

In the second segment, selected teams participated in panel discussions and interview sessions with experts, who questioned them on the practical aspects of their business plans and offered guidance for further growth.

Teams from all 22 districts of Haryana participated, with three teams representing each district. Each of the 66 teams will receive government financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh to support the development of their ventures. From among them, the top 10 teams were invited to present their models on stage before industry experts, investors, jury members and government officials, and will receive continued mentorship, opportunities and financial support.

The core objective of kushal business challenge 2.0 was to realise the vision of “education with work”. Through the programme, students are acquiring vital life skills such as business planning, marketing, cost and price management, innovation, team leadership, communication and problem-solving.

During the 2024–25 academic session, around 37,000 students participated statewide. This year, 66 master trainers were deployed across more than 2,500 government senior secondary schools, training nearly 7,000 teachers. As a result, over 1.18 lakh students registered for the programme, forming more than 23,000 teams and presenting innovative business ideas.

At the start of the event, education minister Mahipal Dhanda visited the students’ stalls, spending time with each team and appreciating their ideas. He expressed surprise at learning that one team had generated ₹40,000 in turnover with a net profit of Rs 12,000.

A team from PM Shri Government Senior Secondary School, Kundli, showcased a fully biodegradable pen embedded with seeds, which grows into a plant after disposal; the product has already sold around 1,500 units. A team from Ladwa launched a “Mother’s Tiffin” service through a website, while products developed by girl students from Nuh district also drew significant attention. Students noted that while families are often hesitant to support such ventures initially, government backing helped build trust and encouragement at home.

Addressing the gathering, Shri Mahipal Dhanda said, “The foundation of a developed India has been laid through this programme.”

Senior officials including Director of School Education Jitendra Kumar, director general of elementary education Vivek Agrawal and joint state project director Mayank Verma were also present.