DPIIT partners with YourStory to boost entrepreneurship

By Admin

25 Jun, 2025

A major step towards empowering 1 million entrepreneurs

In a strategic move to strengthen India’s startup ecosystem and drive inclusive innovation, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with YourStory Media Private Limited. The collaboration focuses on empowering over one million entrepreneurs across India, especially from underserved regions, by leveraging AI-powered tools, venture launchpads, and regional language storytelling through the ambitious Bharat Project.

The Bharat Project: Bringing Stories to Life

At the heart of this partnership is the Bharat Project   a bold initiative designed to democratize entrepreneurship by bridging communication and opportunity gaps. Through regional language content, local success stories, and digital storytelling platforms, DPIIT and YourStory aim to inspire and equip aspiring founders, particularly from non-metro areas, to build and scale their businesses.

Driving innovation with technology and connectivity

The partnership will utilize flagship startup events, developer-centric platforms, and innovation showcases to foster deeper engagement with India’s startup and technology ecosystem. These forums will facilitate critical interactions between founders and investors, promote emerging sectors like Artificial Intelligence, GenAI, blockchain, and data-driven enterprises, and provide valuable knowledge-sharing opportunities.

Focus on inclusivity and decentralization

Joint Secretary of DPIIT, Shri Sanjiv Singh, emphasized the importance of inclusive platforms that expand access to entrepreneurial networks, knowledge, and success stories. He noted that this initiative is key to scaling the next generation of entrepreneurs and unlocking the vast talent pool across India’s smaller towns and rural areas.

The MoU was officially signed by Shri Rajesh Kumar, Deputy Secretary, DPIIT, and Ms. Shradha Sharma, Founder and CEO of YourStory and The Bharat Project, in the presence of senior officials from both organizations. This partnership aligns with India’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat and supports economic decentralization by fostering startups beyond traditional urban centers.

Key objectives of the initiative

• Empower 1 million entrepreneurs, particularly from underserved regions
  
  

• Strengthen the startup ecosystem using AI tools and digital platforms
  
  

• Highlight local success stories through regional language storytelling
  
  

• Launch innovation showcases and founder-investor networking events
  
  

• Promote startups in emerging technology sectors such as AI, GenAI, blockchain, and data
  
  

Towards a self-reliant, innovation-driven India

This partnership is a forward-looking initiative that promises to make entrepreneurship accessible to all Indians, irrespective of geography. By providing the right mix of resources, storytelling, and technological support, DPIIT and YourStory are paving the way for a more inclusive, self-reliant, and innovation-driven economy   a key pillar of India’s ongoing digital transformation.