Delhi’s Mission To Encourage Young Entrepreneurship

In our society, we are conditioned from childhood to believe that education is the key to securing a good job. The saying “Jaldi padhayi poori kar lo, jaldi naukri mil jayegi” (Finish your studies quickly, and you’ll get a job soon) reflects this belief. But are there enough job opportunities available?
Recent unemployment statistics shed light on this issue. Despite completing 14 years of school and at least three years of college education, many youths struggle to find jobs. What if we could equip students with skills that enable them not just to seek jobs, but also create them?

The Vision Of The Entrepreneurship Mindset Curriculum (EMC)

This issue transcends education, hard work, or talent; it is fundamentally about mindset. While policymakers often focus on measures like business loans, tax relief, and other aids, they typically address symptoms rather than causes. This approach is akin to treating an illness rather than preventing it. Manish Sisodia, the former Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, has been an exception.

Manish Sisodia has long believed that complex, deep-rooted problems can be addressed by focusing on classrooms. His vision was to use the educational system to instil a mindset shift among students.

In 2019, after extensive research and brainstorming, the Entrepreneurship Mindset Curriculum (EMC) was introduced. As the name suggests, the curriculum aims to shift students’ mindsets from job seekers to job creators. While not all students will become entrepreneurs, even a few successful ventures can significantly impact unemployment rates.

Implemented in Delhi government schools for grades 9 through 12 since 2019, the EMC curriculum features several unique aspects: no exams, and materials designed for teachers rather than students. The curriculum focuses on character development rather than exam performance. Activities include sessions with local entrepreneurs, market visits to understand business setups, discussions on business ideas, risk-taking, stepping outside comfort zones, and fostering creativity. Ultimately, EMC seeks to teach students the essential life skill of identifying problems and devising innovative solutions while generating employment opportunities.

Business Blasters: A Pivotal Programme Under EMC

Launched in 2021, Business Blasters is a key component of EMC, requiring students in grades 11 and 12 to form teams, brainstorm business ideas, and create proposals. Each student receives seed money from the Delhi government-₹1,000 initially, increased to ₹2,000 in the second year. With their team assembled, ideas in place, and seed money at hand, students work to establish and profit from their businesses. To date, 55,000 teams have been formed under this programme. In 2023 alone, EMC provided seed money to approximately 2.43 lakh students.

Success Stories of the EMC Programme

The EMC programme has proven to be one of the most successful initiatives by the Delhi government, teaching youth essential life skills and generating revenue from their ventures. Here are a few standout success stories:

• Divyanshi Chitransh and a Classmate from SOSE Kalkaji: They started ‘Divine Creation’ with a seed capital of ₹2,000, creating and selling paintings online and offline. They secured an investment of ₹1.25 lakh and have since earned a profit of ₹10 lakh.
• Harsh and Two Other Students from SOSE Kalkaji: Their business, ‘Hebi Naturals’, began with ₹3,000 in seed capital. They produced and sold multipurpose compost, generating a profit of ₹12,000 within three months, and received an additional investment of ₹60,000.
• Sukhsagar and Seven Other Students from Shaheed Hemu Kalani SBV: They founded ‘Mobisite’ with ₹8,000, refurbishing non-working mobile phones for resale. They earned a profit of ₹24,000 within three months and attracted an investment of ₹50,000.

The Path Ahead

These success stories are just a glimpse of the transformative impact of the EMC programme. On December 20, 2023, the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), Delhi, invited the top 35 teams to a conference titled “Power of Entrepreneurial Education: Developing Youth Mindset for Innovation and Economic Growth” to celebrate two years of the Business Blasters programme.

While much work remains to be done, these success stories demonstrate that under Manish Sisodia’s visionary leadership, the Delhi education department is on the right track. The visible impact of this initiative holds the promise of guiding the country towards economic sustainability in the future.

(The author is Member, Education Task Force, Office of Education Minister, Delhi)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author