The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) on Wednesday launched the NIESBUD Alumni Network, a long-term initiative aimed at strengthening India’s entrepreneurial ecosystem through mentoring, collaboration and business networking, with Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Shri Jayant Chaudhary urging successful entrepreneurs to become “champions for the next generation of founders.”
Addressing the first Alumni Connect 2026 at the National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD) campus in Noida, Chaudhary said entrepreneurship requires lifelong learning and that alumni should mentor aspiring founders, share industry experience and create pathways for future innovators. He also launched two publications—स्वावलंबनकीओर-4, highlighting entrepreneurial success stories and institutional initiatives, and Alumni Connect Volume-1, featuring entrepreneurs trained under NIESBUD’s Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP), Entrepreneurship Skill Development Programme (ESDP), Entrepreneurship Awareness Programme (EAP) and other flagship initiatives.
MSDE Secretary Debashree Mukherjee said India needs millions of entrepreneurs to drive innovation, create jobs and realise the vision of Viksit Bharat, while NIESBUD Director General Dr Poonam Sinha said the institute remains committed to supporting entrepreneurs throughout their entrepreneurial lifecycle through continuous engagement and learning opportunities.
The event featured a knowledge-sharing session by mentors from NITI Aayog’s Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP), focusing on mentoring, enterprise scaling, business resilience and market access. A panel discussion on “Digital Growth Strategies: Leveraging ONDC, Meta and GeM for Market Expansion” explored opportunities in digital commerce, government procurement, branding, social commerce and online marketplaces for business expansion.
In Guwahati, the initiative is expected to provide a significant boost to Assam’s startup and MSME ecosystem by improving access to national mentorship networks, digital marketplaces and government procurement platforms. Entrepreneurs in Guwahati could benefit from stronger institutional linkages, knowledge exchange and business networking opportunities, helping local enterprises expand beyond regional markets and enhance their competitiveness in the digital economy.
The event brought together nearly 200 entrepreneurs from 19 states, along with mentors, industry leaders, policymakers and senior officials from MSDE, NITI Aayog, NIESBUD, ONDC, GeM and Meta, marking the beginning of a structured alumni engagement programme designed to foster enterprise growth, innovation, employment generation and India’s journey towards Viksit Bharat@2047.
