Bhubaneswar: In a significant move to bolster India’s startup ecosystem and foster grassroots entrepreneurship, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with YourStory Media Private Limited, a leading digital platform dedicated to startups, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
This strategic partnership underscores DPIIT’s commitment to nurturing emerging talent and promoting inclusive entrepreneurship, particularly in Tier II, Tier III, and rural regions of India. The collaboration aims to empower an impressive 1 million entrepreneurs through a comprehensive suite of initiatives under YourStory’s “Bharat Project.” These initiatives include leveraging AI-powered tools, establishing venture launchpads, and promoting regional language storytelling to reach a wider audience.
The initiative will also harness flagship startup events and developer-focused platforms to significantly increase engagement within India’s vibrant startup and technology ecosystem. These platforms are designed to facilitate innovation showcases, crucial founder-investor networking opportunities, and provide support in rapidly evolving sectors such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Generative AI (GenAI), data, and blockchain.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Shri Sanjiv Singh, Joint Secretary, DPIIT, emphasized the vital role of inclusive platforms in scaling the next generation of entrepreneurs. He highlighted that this partnership would broaden access to essential networks, knowledge, and inspiring success stories, particularly for aspiring founders residing in underserved regions. This, he noted, would accelerate India’s journey towards becoming a global innovation hub.
The MoU was formally executed by Shri Rajesh Kumar, Deputy Secretary, DPIIT, and Ms. Shradha Sharma, Founder & CEO, YourStory and The Bharat Project, in the presence of senior officials from both organizations, signaling a strong collaborative effort towards realizing India’s entrepreneurial potential.