Punjab’s push to promote entrepreneurship among young people has recorded a significant first-year outcome, with more than 20,000 student-led business ventures collectively generating nearly ₹90 crore in revenue during the 2025-26 academic session.

The state government said the results came under its “Business Class” initiative, a programme designed to introduce students to practical entrepreneurship and encourage them to consider self-employment and business creation alongside conventional career paths.

The initiative covered nearly 95,000 students enrolled in higher and technical education institutions across Punjab. Of the students participating in the programme, 25,693 reportedly went on to start their own business ventures, while 20,241 of these ventures generated revenue during the first year.

The figures indicate a growing focus on entrepreneurship within the state’s education system, with students being encouraged to move beyond classroom-based learning and gain direct experience in identifying opportunities, understanding markets and developing commercially viable ideas.

Entrepreneurship introduced as part of formal education

Punjab Higher and Technical Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains said the programme was introduced as a compulsory two-credit subject for students pursuing courses such as Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Technology and Bachelor of Vocation. Students enrolled in Industrial Training Institutes and polytechnic institutions were also brought under the initiative.

The programme was implemented across a broad network of educational institutions, including 20 universities, 494 colleges, 320 ITIs and 91 polytechnics. In total, 925 higher and technical education institutions participated in the initiative.

The curriculum was designed to provide students with practical knowledge that can be applied to real-world businesses. Areas covered included identifying potential business opportunities, understanding customer needs, testing market demand, deciding prices, developing a digital presence, preparing financial plans and managing business operations.

According to the government, around 57,000 students took part in practical business activities during the academic year, giving them an opportunity to put their classroom learning into practice.

Bains said the larger objective of the programme was to reshape the role of higher education by encouraging students to become innovators, entrepreneurs and potential job creators. Rather than viewing education only as a pathway to obtaining a degree and securing employment, the initiative seeks to help young people develop the skills required to create businesses and generate employment opportunities for others.

Student businesses emerge across multiple sectors

The ventures established through the programme span a wide range of industries and activities. Students have explored opportunities in e-commerce, food and beverage services, digital content, graphic design, fitness, retail, agriculture, handicrafts and various local services.

The diversity of these businesses reflects the programme’s emphasis on allowing students to identify opportunities based on their own interests, skills and local market conditions.

One student from Guru Nanak Dev University in Amritsar, identified as Saurav, launched a matcha-based beverage business. The venture reportedly earned around ₹90,000 through sales conducted during college events, demonstrating how students can use educational campuses as an initial market for testing and developing business ideas.

Another example is Sharanveer Singh from Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University in Bathinda, who developed a digital career guidance platform. The platform has reportedly attracted more than 2.5 lakh users, highlighting the potential for student-led digital ventures to reach audiences beyond their immediate institutions.

Pankaj, a BCom student at Sant Baba Bhag Singh University in Jalandhar, established an online artificial jewellery business using social media platforms. The venture reportedly served around 150 customers and generated approximately ₹30,000 in revenue.

Students enrolled in ITIs have also participated in the initiative by developing businesses based on practical and vocational skills. Kamaljeet Singh of Government ITI in Patiala started a mushroom cultivation venture that earned nearly ₹1.5 lakh.

Similarly, Gaganpreet Kaur Rangi of Government ITI (Women) in Mohali launched a home-based nail art business, generating around ₹55,000. Another student, Ramandeep Singh of Government ITI in Mohali, established an online electronics business supported by a dedicated website.

These examples demonstrate how entrepreneurship education can be applied across different academic and vocational backgrounds. While some students have pursued technology-driven and digital businesses, others have focused on agriculture, personal services, retail and small-scale commercial activities.

Focus on practical skills and self-employment

The programme’s first-year results come at a time when policymakers and educational institutions are increasingly focusing on employability and entrepreneurship among young people.

Traditional education models often place greater emphasis on academic qualifications and preparing students for existing employment opportunities. The Business Class initiative seeks to add another dimension by helping students understand how businesses are created, operated and expanded.

By introducing concepts such as customer discovery and market validation, the programme aims to help students assess whether their ideas can meet actual consumer needs. Training in pricing, financial planning and digital marketing is intended to provide participants with practical knowledge that can be useful even for small or early-stage ventures.

The emphasis on digital presence is particularly relevant as young entrepreneurs increasingly use social media, e-commerce platforms and independent websites to reach customers. For students with limited access to conventional business infrastructure, digital tools can provide relatively accessible ways to promote products and services.

The government has positioned the initiative as part of a broader effort to encourage innovation and self-employment. The underlying approach is to help students develop entrepreneurial thinking during their education rather than waiting until after graduation to explore business opportunities.

Programme may expand to more undergraduate courses

Following the reported performance of the initiative during its first year, the programme could be expanded from the 2026-27 academic session.

Vice-chancellors of universities in Punjab have recommended extending Business Class to all undergraduate degree programmes. If implemented, the expansion would bring students from courses such as Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science, along with those from other undergraduate programmes, into the entrepreneurship-focused curriculum.

The initiative was initially concentrated on students pursuing BCom, BBA, BTech and BVoc programmes, as well as learners in ITIs and polytechnics. Expanding it to a wider range of undergraduate courses would significantly increase the number of students receiving formal exposure to entrepreneurship.

The proposed expansion also reflects the view that entrepreneurial skills are not limited to students studying commerce, management or technology. Students from arts, science and other academic disciplines may also identify business opportunities based on their specialised knowledge, creative abilities or local needs.

A broader shift in higher education

The Punjab government’s initiative represents an effort to integrate entrepreneurship more closely with higher and technical education. The programme is being implemented under the state’s wider “Sikhya Kranti” initiative, with the aim of making education more practical and connected to real-world opportunities.

The first-year figures, including more than 20,000 revenue-generating ventures and nearly ₹90 crore in reported collective revenue, provide an early indication of the scale at which student entrepreneurship can develop when it is incorporated into formal education.

However, the long-term impact of the programme will depend not only on the number of businesses launched but also on their ability to survive, grow and create sustainable employment. Continued mentoring, access to finance, market connections and institutional support could play an important role in helping promising student ventures move beyond their initial stages.

For now, the programme’s first year has highlighted the potential of combining academic education with hands-on business experience. With a possible expansion to additional undergraduate courses from 2026-27, Punjab is seeking to make entrepreneurship a more common part of the student experience and encourage a generation of young people to view themselves not only as future employees but also as potential entrepreneurs and job creators.