The programme is organised under the sponsorship of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) through the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) initiative, in collaboration with UNESCO. The programme has brought together 28 participants from South Sudan, including senior officials from the Ministries of General Education and Instruction, Labour, Youth and Sports, and Higher Education, Science and Technology, along with representatives from the private sector. High-level representatives are expected to join later this week including 3 ministers from the republic of South Sudan.

The programme aims to strengthen South Sudan’s institutional capacities in the areas of TVET governance, public–private partnership frameworks, entrepreneurship development, and industry-integrated skilling models. It also seeks to provide the delegation with deep insights into India’s whole-of-government skilling architecture, including MSDE’s flagship schemes, standards-setting processes, quality assurance mechanisms, and digital skilling innovations.

As part of the programme, the South Sudan delegation today visited Kaushal Bhawan, New Delhi, today and interacted with Ms. Debashree Mukherjee, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship.

Welcoming the delegation, the Secretary highlighted India’s comprehensive skilling architecture anchored by MSDE, which brings together institutions such as DGT, NCVET, NSDC, Sector Skill Councils, NIESBUD, IIE, JSSs and RDSDEs through a unified and coordinated approach. She emphasised the centrality of public–private partnerships, India’s efforts to integrate entrepreneurship into TVET outcomes, and the growing scope for bilateral cooperation in areas such as agriculture-based livelihoods, construction skills, women-centric skilling, digital skilling, and community-based training models.

The Secretary underlined that India attaches great value to its developmental partnership with South Sudan and expressed confidence that this programme will contribute meaningfully to the strengthening of South Sudan’s national skilling ecosystem.

During the visit, the delegates participated in a series of thematic sessions led by MSDE’s key institutions. The sessions covered Overview of MSDE’s Schemes and Initiatives, Governance & Quality Assurance Frameworks for Industry-Aligned Skilling, Long-term Vocational Training in India, and Digital Skilling & Emerging Technology Initiatives.

These sessions provided the delegation with a comprehensive understanding of India’s standards-driven, market-responsive, and digitally enabled skilling ecosystem.

Ms. Archana Mayaram, Economic Adviser, MSDE; Ms. Hena Usman, Joint Secretary, MSDE; Dr. Poonam Sinha, Director General, NIESBUD; Shri Pritam Dutta, Director, MSDE; Dr. Shivani Dey, Director, NIESBUD; Col. Vikram Singh Bhati, Director, NCVET; Shri Himanshu Gunawat, Deputy Secretary, MSDE, and Mr. Jian Xi Teng from UNESCO were present on the occasion.

Over the 12-day duration, the participants will be exposed to India’s approaches to qualification standard-setting, industry-led curriculum design, entrepreneurship promotion, digital learning systems, RPL frameworks, women-centric skilling initiatives, and sector-based PPP models. Field visits, institutional interactions, and experience-sharing sessions with ministries, Sector Skill Councils, premier training institutions, and industry bodies will form an integral part of the programme.

The initiative reinforces India’s commitment to capacity building, knowledge exchange, and fostering long-term cooperation with partner nations under the ITEC framework.

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Bengaluru, April 3, 2025: As India prepares to host Startup Mahakumbh 2025—its largest-ever convergence of startups, investors, and global thought leaders—the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) will present a compelling narrative of inclusive entrepreneurship through its dedicated pavilion. From April 3 to 5 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, MSDE will showcase 15 entrepreneurs whose journeys epitomize the transformative power of grassroots innovation and institutional support.

The Skill India Pavilion, located in Hall 4, will spotlight these entrepreneurs and their ventures, offering them a national platform to engage with investors, industry veterans, and policymakers.

Curated and nurtured under the aegis of the National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD), these entrepreneurs represent the rich diversity and ingenuity of India’s emerging startup ecosystem. Hailing from states as varied as Bihar, Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, Tamil Nadu, and Uttarakhand, the featured ventures span sectors such as sustainable agriculture, eco-conscious textiles, AI-driven services, waste-to-wealth solutions, and food processing.

Speaking ahead of the event, Shri Atul Kumar Tiwari, Secretary, MSDE, commented: “Through Startup Mahakumbh, we are not just showcasing enterprises—we are telling stories of resilience, aspiration, and the future of India’s economic imagination. As Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji has envisioned, ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat is not just a vision—it is a movement powered by the entrepreneurial spirit of every Indian.’ This spirit has already given rise to over 118 unicorns, placing India among the top three startup ecosystems in the world. Entrepreneurship today is not confined to boardrooms in metros—it is thriving in villages, tier-two towns, and among underrepresented communities. NIESBUD’s model demonstrates how targeted skilling, mentorship, and ecosystem building can catalyze remarkable transformations.,”

Among them are Field-X Robotics, developing automation tools for precision agriculture; Dhanna Food Products, a Tamil Nadu-based enterprise that has scaled to a turnover of ₹1 crore; and Geeta Herbal Products, founded by women entrepreneurs in Himachal Pradesh using local knowledge to create sustainable personal care solutions. These ventures—many launched with modest investments—have been cultivated through intensive training, market linkage facilitation, and enterprise development programs facilitated by NIESBUD, including under SANKALP and EDP frameworks.

Startup Mahakumbh 2025 will convene over 3,000 startups, 1,000+ investors, and delegations from more than 50 countries. Within this dynamic ecosystem, MSDE’s pavilion will serve as a microcosm of the broader vision for India@2047—where entrepreneurship is not merely an economic imperative, but a vehicle for social equity, gender inclusion, and decentralized development.

MSDE’s continued efforts to integrate skill development with entrepreneurship underscore its commitment to building an innovation-led, inclusive economy—where every aspiring entrepreneur, regardless of background, has the opportunity to dream, build, and lead.

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NIESBUD recently held a two-day workshop titled “Catalyzing Entrepreneurial Growth: Enhancing Financial Inclusion, Market Access, and Digital Competence.” The event attracted over 100 entrepreneurs from Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh, primarily those trained under the SANKALP program.

Ms. Hena Usman, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) during her address mentioned, “The workshop serves as a valuable platform for participants to engage with entrepreneurs within the ecosystem, providing budding business owners with essential insights into the skilling landscape. The government has launched numerous initiatives designed to maximize benefits for those starting new ventures or scaling up existing businesses. As our Hon’ble Prime Minister highlights, entrepreneurship is more than a mere trend—it’s a key driver of our economy.

Two critical components of entrepreneurship are digital linkages and marketing connections, both of which are necessary to gain comprehensive understanding of the entrepreneurial ecosystem.”

The event hosted various panel discussions which provided insightful information, emphasizing the government’s commitment to fostering an inclusive and resilient entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The first panel discussion of the day, “Building a Strong Entrepreneurial Ecosystem – Challenges & Opportunities,” delved into the key barriers faced by entrepreneurs and explored policy interventions and collaborative efforts necessary for success. Panellists, including Shri Yamini Bhushan Pandey, MD and CEO of IIM Lucknow Enterprise Incubation Centre; Shri Naveen Gaur, COO of Indian Institute of Information Technology, Delhi; and Shri Rakesh Kumar from SIDBI, engaged in a thought-provoking discourse on creating an enabling environment for entrepreneurial growth in India.

In a session dedicated to sharing best practices, entrepreneurs from Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh presented their journeys, highlighting the challenges they overcame and the strategies they employed to establish successful ventures. This was complemented by startup founders, including Shri Arvind Kumar of Xmonies and Shri Gaurav Gupta of Bill Clap, who offered insights into their innovative business models and digital-first approaches to scaling enterprises.

The afternoon session transitioned into a critical discussion on “Overview of Digital Growth Strategies: Leveraging GeM, ONDC, and Meta for Market Expansion.” This segment explored how entrepreneurs can optimize digital platforms for business growth, branding, and social commerce. Industry leaders, including Shri Anuj Kumar and Shri Tushar Agarwal from GeM, Ms. Rachita Gupta from ONDC, and Shri Shahnawaz Khan from Meta, shared their expertise on integrating small businesses into large-scale digital marketplaces.

Practical demonstrations followed, allowing participants to gain hands-on experience in on boarding and selling through key digital platforms. Experts from GeM facilitated an interactive session on marketplace integration, followed by ONDC’s insights on expanding market reach, and Meta’s deep dive into leveraging social media for business growth and digital marketing strategies.

The event concluded on an engaging note, equipping entrepreneurs with practical tools and strategies to navigate the evolving digital economy. With an agenda rooted in empowerment, knowledge sharing, and digital inclusion, NIESBUD reaffirmed its commitment to fostering a dynamic and robust entrepreneurial landscape in India.

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