Empower Youths: Mohit Kamboj feels start-up system, entrepreneurship make them future ready
Mohit Kamboj is a visionary leader, entrepreneur, and philanthropist dedicated to progress, unity, and transformative change across India
India stands on the cusp of a transformative era, an economic and social renaissance driven by the unmatched energy of its youth. With over 65% of the population under the age of 35, India is not just a young nation, but a pulsating powerhouse of ambition, innovation and aspiration. In this context, entrepreneurship must be seen not merely as a means of economic development, but as a national mission, an instrument of empowerment, self-reliance and inclusive growth.
The Rise of India’s Start-Up Ecosystem
India’s journey from the periphery to the forefront of the global innovation map has been nothing short of extraordinary. Today, we are the world’s third-largest start-up ecosystem, and cities like Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune have emerged as vibrant centres of innovation. What’s more encouraging is the entrepreneurial spark igniting in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, from Indore to Guwahati, where young Indians are daring to think big and build local solutions for local and global challenges.
But the real opportunity lies beyond the urban bubble. To truly unlock the potential of India’s demographic dividend, we must democratize entrepreneurship ensuring it is accessible not just to the urban educated elite, but also to youth in rural and underserved communities. The goal must be to make innovation a grassroots movement.
Entrepreneurship: The New Freedom Struggle
Today’s young entrepreneurs are not just building businesses; they are redefining what freedom means. This is a new-age freedom movement, one that seeks economic independence, self-expression, and societal impact. Much like our forebears who fought for political liberty, India’s youth are carving pathways to economic sovereignty by creating jobs, not just seeking them, and by developing indigenous solutions to uniquely Indian problems.
What makes entrepreneurship truly powerful is that it does not require a family legacy or elite education. It requires vision, resilience and an enabling ecosystem. That’s where government, industry, academia, and civil society must work in unison.
Building the Foundation: Education and Policy Reforms
For entrepreneurship to thrive, it must be deeply embedded into the educational framework. We need to move beyond rote learning to foster critical thinking, creativity and financial literacy. Schools and colleges should nurture risk-taking and entrepreneurial problem-solving as core life skills.
Government initiatives like Startup India, Atal Innovation Mission, and Skill India have laid a robust foundation. The next frontier is to extend these programs into rural India and marginalized communities to discover the next unicorn founder in a village, not just in a metro.
On the policy front, simplifying tax norms, streamlining business approvals, and expanding access to seed funding and incubators will be crucial. Entrepreneurs need a springboard, not a quagmire of red tape.
Celebrating the Risk-Takers
India must shift its cultural mindset, from applauding only academic rank-holders to celebrating those who take risks and solve real-world problems. Innovation demands courage. Failure is not a stigma, it is a stepping stone. We must normalise setbacks and nurture resilience in our youth.
What excites me most is how youth-led start-ups are addressing India’s most pressing challenges, be it in affordable healthcare, agriculture technology, digital skilling, financial inclusion or waste management. These ventures are not just commercial endeavours, they are social revolutions in motion.
A National Imperative
If India’s demographic dividend is to become its greatest asset, we must empower our young people with the right tools, opportunities, and mindset to lead from the front. Entrepreneurship is no longer a luxury, it is a necessity for sustainable, inclusive growth.
As someone who has built from the ground up, I can say with conviction that our real investment must be in people. In their potential, their dreams and their ability to transform India from within. Let us imagine and build an India where every young individual, from Nagpur to Nandurbar, from Varanasi to Visakhapatnam, has not just the aspiration, but also the access to dream, create and lead.