One Platform, Thousands of Ideas- Delhi Set to Become the ‘Startup Capital of India’

Union Minister of State Jayant Chaudhary and CM Rekha Gupta attend the ‘Campus to Market’ Startup Yuva Festival 2026

India now needs competence, not just qualifications: Union Minister of State Jayant Chaudhary

Today’s youth is no longer just a ‘job seeker’, but a ‘job creator’: Chief Minister Rekha Gupta

Target to develop 5,000 startups by 2035: Education Minister Ashish Sood

New Delhi, January 2026 : Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Shri Jayant Chaudhary, and the Chief Minister of Delhi, Smt. 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), 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.

Shri Jayant Chaudhary and Smt. 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 continued guidance and support to help transform innovations into real-world solutions. Delhi Government Cabinet Minister Shri 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 prevailing mindset across the system was that only formal education mattered. Now, under the vision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and through the National Education Policy, this thinking is being transformed. Today, the need is to focus 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 Smt. 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 Shri 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 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 Shri Ashish Sood said that earlier, startups did exist in Delhi, 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 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 that the Startup Yuva Festival is an example of 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 associated with entrepreneurship programmes, and over 470 startups are working under incubation. These student startups have generated revenues of ₹500-600 crore, with each startup creating an average of 4-5 employment opportunities.

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

What is the Startup Yuva Festival 2026?

The Startup Yuva Festival 2026 is the flagship programme of the Delhi Government, 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 were given 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 grants of ₹10 lakh each, while the top 100 startups were awarded grants of ₹1 lakh each.