Punjab youth to get entrepreneurial training

The former Education Minister and ex-Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Manish Sisodia, on Monday engaged with students at Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) here, discussing the implementation of a new course aimed at fostering an entrepreneurial mind set among Punjab’s youth.

The interactive session focused on the newly-introduced subject, Punjab Entrepreneurship Mindset Programme, which seeks to equip students with skills to start and sustain businesses. Punjab’s Department of Higher Education has introduced it as a mandatory course for undergraduate students in the state, adopted by 18 private and government universities.

Sisodia, who arrived at the university campus earlier in the day, along with Vice-Chancellor Dr Karamjeet Singh, talked about the transformative potential of the programme. “This new subject, rolled out by the Punjab Government, will not only ignite a passion for entrepreneurship among students, but also provide solutions to the challenges they face in launching ventures,” Prof Karamjeet Singh said. He added that, “By enabling students to become financially independent post-education, this programme paves the way for self-reliance and innovation.”

The Punjab Entrepreneurship Mindset Programme has been integrated across the GNDU ecosystem, including the main Amritsar campus, regional campuses, constituent colleges and 88 affiliated institutions. Designed as a two-credit course, it will be taught over five semesters and is expected to benefit approximately 13,500 students.

Sisodia underscored the critical role of entrepreneurship in India’s journey from a developing to a developed nation. “We stand among developing countries, but to join the ranks of developed ones, we must recognise and nurture the entrepreneurial talent hidden within our youth,” he told the students. Drawing from his experience in revamping Delhi’s education system, Sisodia expressed his commitment to strengthening India’s educational framework. “My focus has always been on bolstering the education sector, and it is the young minds of this country who can drive this change,” he said.

Sisodia said that Punjab Government is making efforts to cultivate a business-oriented mindset among students. He encouraged the attendees to shift their aspirations from seeking jobs in established companies to creating enterprises that could attract global talent. “Punjab’s students should aim to build companies where foreign graduates aspire to work. I am optimistic about their potential to achieve this,” said Sisodia, highlighting the need for innovation and resilience.

The session evolved into an open forum where Sisodia delved into the practical aspects of entrepreneurship. He discussed common hurdles in ideation and execution, sharing strategies to overcome them. Students, in turn, recounted their personal experiences in starting small ventures, from conceptualising ideas to facing real-world challenges with participants exploring themes like market analysis, funding options and risk management etc.

Meanwhile, the GNDU Vice-Chancellor said the university provides a scholarship of Rs 1 lakh to good business ideas through a special merit-based system.