Delhi's Bold Campus-to-Market Initiative for Startups

Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood announced a Rs 325-crore budget to support 5,000 startups over five years. The initiative, unveiled at Delhi Startup Yuva Festival, aims to bolster student startups through protection, valuation, funding, and market connections. This seeks to foster entrepreneurship among students.

The Delhi government has unveiled a significant budget allocation aimed at nurturing young entrepreneurs. Announced by Education Minister Ashish Sood, Rs 325 crore will be invested over the next five years to support 5,000 startups through a 'campus-to-market' incubation policy.

During the Delhi Startup Yuva Festival 2026, Sood emphasized providing comprehensive support to student startups, ranging from intellectual property safeguarding to securing funding and market connectivity. The event, organized by the Department of Training and Technical Education, took place at Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women.

Highlighting past fragmentation in support efforts, Sood stated that the new policy aims to streamline innovation, eliminating duplication and fostering a robust startup culture. This initiative builds on the Business Blasters project, which has already benefited 5,000 teams across 1,000 schools.

(With inputs from agencies.)