School-Based Entrepreneurship with Business Blasters Expo at IIT Ropar. Photo Credit: indianexpress
The Punjab government is supporting school-based entrepreneurship in a major way with its Business Blasters Expo at IIT Ropar, where government school students are pitching their startup ventures. This first-of-its-kind expo underscores the state’s commitment to nurturing young innovators, with backing from the Chief Minister and the School Education Ministry.
A Landmark Event for Young Entrepreneurs
Announced by School Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains, the expo will feature about 40 student teams from government schools in Classes 11 and 12. These teams have been selected from nearly 18,500 initial business ideas submitted across the state. Each group received a seed fund of ₹16,000 to develop their concepts, gain hands-on mentorship, and refine their business models before the expo.
According to The Indian Express, the event’s format mirrors a “Shark Tank”-style pitch session, where student-led ventures will present to a panel of investors, incubators, and entrepreneurship experts. This live pitching environment offers exposure, feedback, and potential incubation support for teams aiming to scale up.
Government Strategy Behind the Initiative
The expo is a product of the “Business Blasters” programme, introduced under Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and championed by Minister Bains. It is designed to foster experiential, team-based learning in government schools—sharpening students’ communication skills, problem-solving abilities, and financial savvy through practical business exposure. Around 7,000 student teams, comprising over 52,000 participants, have already benefitted from the seed-fund grants and structured mentoring.
Beyond the fiscal investment, this initiative seeks to embed entrepreneurship within the school ecosystem, encouraging students to tackle local challenges through innovation and creativity.
Highlighting Student Innovations
Among the showcased ventures, several stand out for their ingenuity and early market success:
- Students from a Ropnagar girls’ school launched resin-based coasters, keychains, and candle moulds, selling over 250 units.
- A Pathankot team developed a rechargeable electric bicycle focused on solving last-mile connectivity.
- A Bathinda-based group created a chemical-free herbal shampoo using traditional ingredients, with initial sales of 80 units and positive customer feedback.
- A Ferozepur team introduced “Defend-X Stick” — a self-defence tool equipped with an LED light, shock points, and a hidden blade.
- Students from Moga designed “BB Choco Dreams” – preservative-free handmade chocolates, already yielding initial profits of over ₹4,000.
These innovations demonstrate that even small-scale concepts, when well-executed, have real commercial potential.
Incubation, Industry Ties, and Future Prospects
Through the Expo, the state aims to connect schools with incubators, investors, and industry mentors who can help scale ideas into viable businesses. The expo also offers a venue for stakeholder engagement, seeking to extend financial backing, mentorship, and infrastructure to sustain student startups beyond the event.
Officials emphasise that some ventures are already generating revenue and expanding operations, signaling a shift from theoretical concepts to real-world applications. Students are learning essential skills like market research, customer engagement, cost management, and brand development—providing early-stage entrepreneurial education.
Aligning with Larger Educational Reforms
This initiative aligns with broader efforts to infuse practical skills into education. Building on platforms like the Punjab Youth Leadership Programme, which trains young leaders in government schools, the Business Blasters movement aims to foster autonomy, creativity, and social impact among students.
By spearheading entrepreneurship from an early age, the state hopes to prepare students not just for jobs, but for roles as employers and innovators—crucial for economic resilience.
Measuring Success Beyond the Expo
The road ahead involves ensuring continuity through mentorship, follow-up funding, and infrastructure support. Long-term tracking of teams—assessing revenue growth, job creation, or scale-up progress—will determine the initiative’s success.
There are also opportunities to integrate these learnings into national education policy, potentially expanding entrepreneurship modules into school curricula and state-wide enterprise incubators.
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