Union Minister Shri Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and Minister of State for Education, attended the first alumni meet of the National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD) at its Noida campus. The event, organised under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), brought together nearly 200 successful entrepreneurs from 19 states, along with mentors, industry leaders, and policymakers.
Minister Chaudhary emphasized that successful entrepreneurs must become champions for the next generation by mentoring aspiring founders, sharing experiences, and creating pathways for others to succeed. He stated that learning and skilling are lifelong journeys and engagement with entrepreneurs should continue beyond the classroom. He highlighted the potential of NIESBUD's alumni network to become a platform for collaboration, excellence, and strengthening India's entrepreneurial ecosystem toward the vision of a developed and self-reliant India.
During the event, the minister launched two NIESBUD publications: 'स्वावलंबन की ओर - 4', which showcases entrepreneurial success stories, institutional initiatives, and transformative journeys of NIESBUD alumni, and 'Alumni Connect Volume - 1', a curated compilation of profiles of successful entrepreneurs nurtured through the institute's flagship programmes including Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP), Entrepreneurship Skill Development Programme (ESDP), Entrepreneurship Awareness Programme (EAP), and other capacity-building initiatives.
The event featured a session on Sharing of Best Practices by Mentors from NITI Aayog, focusing on the critical role of mentoring in enterprise growth. Mentors shared practical lessons from their experiences with the Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) on overcoming business challenges, scaling enterprises, accessing opportunities, and building resilient ventures. A panel discussion on 'Digital Growth Strategies: Leveraging ONDC, Meta and GeM for Market Expansion' brought together representatives from these digital platforms to discuss enabling entrepreneurs to leverage digital commerce, government procurement, social commerce, branding, digital marketing, and online marketplaces.
Ms. Debashree Mukherjee, Secretary of MSDE, emphasized India's need for millions of entrepreneurs to drive innovation, create jobs, and realize the vision of Viksit Bharat. Dr. Poonam Sinha, Director General of NIESBUD, stated the institute's commitment to supporting entrepreneurs throughout their entrepreneurial lifecycle through continuous connection, collaboration, and mentoring. Ms. Hena Usman, Joint Secretary of MSDE, and senior officials from MSDE, NITI Aayog, NIESBUD, ONDC, GeM, and Meta were also present.
The NIESBUD Alumni Meet 2026 marks the beginning of a structured, long-term engagement through the NIESBUD Alumni Network, envisioned as a platform for continuous interaction, mentoring, collaboration, business networking, and knowledge exchange to create a self-sustaining entrepreneurial community that contributes to enterprise growth, employment generation, innovation, and the vision of Viksit Bharat@2047.