Today's youth is no longer just a 'job seeker', but a 'job creator': Delhi CM Rekha Gupta

NEW DELHI: Union minister of state for skill development and entrepreneurship, Jayant Chaudhary, and the chief minister of Delhi, Rekha Gupta, on Wednesday, inaugurated the 'Campus to Market - Delhi Startup Yuva Festival 2026' at the Dr Ambedkar International Centre.

The programme is being organised by the Directorate of Training and Technical Education (DTTE) of the Government of Delhi. On this occasion, the Union Minister of State and the Chief Minister interacted with young innovators, teachers, investors and startup founders from universities, colleges and technical institutions, and reviewed the exhibition of student-led innovations.

Jayant Chaudhary and Rekha Gupta visited the startup exhibition and observed various innovations, prototypes and business models on display, appreciating the creativity, problem-solving abilities and technological outlook of young entrepreneurs. They held detailed discussions with several student teams on their startup ideas, market strategies, and social impact, and assured them of continued guidance and support to help turn innovations into real-world solutions. Delhi Government Cabinet Minister Ashish Sood and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.

Union Minister of State Jayant Chaudhary said that India is a young nation with immense youth power, which gives the country tremendous working capacity. However, the true benefit of this demographic advantage will be realised only when young people are given opportunities to move forward, their talent is recognised, and their skills are refined.

He said that earlier, the education system was such that students who did not fit into the traditional academic framework found the doors of schools and colleges almost closed. Even universities focus largely on textbook-based learning.

The minister said that the prevailing mindset across the system was that only formal education mattered. However, he said that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision and the National Education Policy, this thinking is being transformed.

The minister said that today, the focus should be not merely on degrees but on capabilities. This is possible only through skill-based education, experiential learning opportunities and exposure to the real world.

Chief minister Rekha Gupta said that today's youth is no longer merely a 'job seeker', but is emerging as a 'job creator'. She noted that student startups in Delhi are demonstrating exceptional creativity and innovation, offering practical solutions to contemporary social, environmental and technological challenges.

She said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a strong startup and innovation ecosystem has been developed across the country, providing young people with the platforms, policies and support needed to journey from idea to enterprise.

The Delhi CM said her Government is also working rapidly in this direction by integrating education, skills and entrepreneurship to position the capital as the Startup Capital of India. The Chief Minister urged the youth to adopt a solutions-driven mindset for the nation, so that Delhi and India can lead global innovation.

Delhi's education minister Ashish Sood said that startups had existed in Delhi earlier, but they were scattered. There was neither a clear startup policy nor a structured mechanism to connect students with industry, mentors and investors. Initiatives related to education and startups were largely limited to announcements. This mindset has now completely changed.

The Delhi minister said that the state Government is building an ecosystem from school education to higher and technical education, placing skill development, entrepreneurship and innovation at the core, with public and private institutions working together.

He said the Startup Yuva Festival exemplifies this transformation. For the first time, 11 universities, 12 colleges and 19 ITIs have been brought together on a single platform. The 'Campus to Market' approach has now been implemented in a structured manner, providing students with access to mentorship, funding and markets.

At present, more than 75,000 students and young people are engaged in entrepreneurship programmes, and over 470 startups are in incubation. These student startups have generated Rs 500-600 crore in revenue, with each startup creating an average of 4-5 jobs.

The education minister said that at the school level, under the NEEEV curriculum, 5,000 student teams have been provided assistance of Rs 20,000 per team. In addition, at the Startup Yuva Festival, the top six startups are awarded equity-free grants of Rs 10 lakh each, while the top 100 startups receive Rs 1 lakh each. He further stated that the Delhi Government will soon implement the Delhi Startup Policy, with a provision of Rs 325 crore over the next five years and a target to develop 5,000 startups by 2035.

The Startup Yuva Festival 2026 is the Delhi Government's flagship programme, aimed at establishing Delhi as the Startup Capital of India. Organised by the Delhi Government, the festival is a significant initiative to take student-led startups from campus to market. Its objective is to convert innovations developed within educational institutions into commercially viable and sustainable enterprises.

Under the 'Campus to Market' initiative, students had the opportunity to present their ideas to investors, mentors, and industry experts. The programme also featured knowledge sessions, policy roundtables and an award ceremony. Out of more than 700 applications, over 60 startups participated in the Startup Expo, of which the top 20 were selected for live pitching. As prizes, the top six startups received Rs 10 lakh each, while the top 100 startups received Rs 1 lakh each. (ANI)
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