Lok Sabha Question No. 1660 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-10
Subject: Promoting of Entrepreneurship in Technical and Professional Education
Ministry: SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Asked by: Shri K C Venugopal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1660

ANSWERED ON 10/03/2025

## PROMOTING OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN TECHNICAL AND PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION

1660.   SHRI K C VENUGOPAL:

Will the Minister of SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP be pleased to state

- (a)        the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  through  its  various  autonomous  institutions  to promote entrepreneurship in technical and professional education;
- (b)       the details of funds allocated and utilised towards promotion of entrepreneurship through Central Government Schemes during the last five years; and
- (c)       the details of specific efforts undertaken by the Government to promote entrepreneurship in the State of Kerala?

## ANSWER

THE  MINISTER  OF  STATE  (INDEPENDENT  CHARGE)  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

(SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY)

- (a)       Ministry  of  Skill  Development  and  Entrepreneurship  (MSDE)  through  its  autonomous institutions,  i.e,  National  Institute  for  Entrepreneurship  and  Small  Business  Development (NIESBUD) and Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE), Guwahati has taken various initiatives to promote entrepreneurship in technical and professional education.

NIESBUD and Directorate General of Training (DGT) under MSDE have signed an MoU on 8 th February, 2018 and further extended  on 20th October, 2021 for sustained development of entrepreneurial skills and education aimed at enhancement of self-employment opportunities for  trainees  of  ITIs  on  pan  India  basis.  Under  this  MoU,  for  enhancement  of  entrepreneurial skills of trainers of ITIs, 5 days Training (Residential) / online Programme for 'Trainer's Training Programme on Employability, Entrepreneurship and Life Skills' are conducted by NIESBUD.

The  Ministry  in  collaboration  with  the Women  Entrepreneurship Platform of  NITI  Aayog, launched  the  Swavalambini  -  a  Women  Entrepreneurship  Programme  on  07.02.2025  in  the North Eastern States of Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram and on 01.03.2025 in Uttar Pradesh and Telangana. The Swavalambini Project aims to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset among female students, equipping them with awareness of available support mechanisms, schemes, resources and networks essential for pursuing entrepreneurship as a career. The target group for the Swavalambini Project includes 1200 female students from Higher Educational Institutes (HEIs) and Universities for entrepreneurship awareness programme. Out of these, 600 students will  undergo  the  Entrepreneurship  Development Programme  (EDP)  offering  intensive  40-hour training  covering  crucial  business  aspects  such  as  training  and  skilling,  access  to  finance, market linkages, compliance and legal support, business services, and networking opportunities. This will be followed by six months of mentorship and handholding support to help participants  translate  their  ideas  into  sustainable  prospects.  To  ensure  long-term  impact,  the programme also includes  a  Faculty  Development  Programme  (FDP),  where faculty  members from participating HEIs shall undergo a five-day training session. This initiative equips educators with  the  necessary  skills  to  mentor  and  guide  aspiring  women  entrepreneurs  within  their institutions.  Furthermore,  Swavalambini  aims  to  recognise  and  reward  successful  women entrepreneurs  emerging  from  the  programme  through  the  Award  to  Rewards  Initiative  of Women Entrepreneurship Platform of NITI AAYOG. The programme will leverage workshops, seed funding, and structured mentoring to support the growth of women-led enterprises.

Further, IIE in collaboration with North Eastern Council (NEC) is establishing, developing and managing Entrepreneurship Development Centres (EDCs) and Incubation Centers (ICs) in North East Region's Educational Institutions. The  key features of the Project include establishing, developing and managing 30 EDCs and four ICs in eight states of NER, identifying and training 600 mentors from 30 target districts, identifying and training 3600 youth from 30 target districts, incubating 100 business ideas in four ICs, supporting 900 business ideas in 30 EDCs through convergence and Seed fund for top 50 incubates in four ICs.

In  addition,  the  Government  has  taken  various  initiatives  to  promote  entrepreneurship  in technical and professional education. Ministry of Education's Innovation Cell (MIC) and All India Council  for  Technical  Education  (AICTE)  promotes  innovation  and  entrepreneurship  across educational institutions. By fostering an environment that encourages creativity and entrepreneurship,  the  Cell  facilitates  the  development  of  sustainable  commercial  models. Through initiatives such as the Smart India Hackathon (SIH), Institution's Innovation Councils (IIC),  KAPILA  (Kalam  Program  for  IP  Literacy  and  Awareness),  Innovation,  Design  and Entrepreneurship (IDE) Bootcamp and AICTE MoE Investor Network and Indovation Centres, it strives  to  integrate  innovation  into  the  core  of  Higher  Education  Institutions  (HEIs).  The Innovation Cell collaborates with various ministries and government departments, ensuring that these  innovations  contribute  to  societal  progress  while  also  addressing  real-world  challenges which  leads  to  culture  of  innovation,  start-up  and  entrepreneurship  in  the  country.  In  all  MIC initiatives, Higher Education Institutions work with the national ecosystem to create an enabling environment for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

Furthermore,  AICTE  has  initiated  the  following  scheme  to  motivate  students  towards promoting entrepreneurship and professional education:

AICTE  Productization  Fellowship  (APF):  The  AICTE  Productization  Fellowship  (APF) scheme aims  to  support  the  student's  innovative  projects  focused  on  validating  Proof  of Concepts (PoC) for ground breaking technologies and offers financial assistance to the students for essential resources, including raw materials, equipment, software, and testing tools ensuring that students have the necessary resources to scale their lab-based research and innovations into market-ready products/solutions.

(b) and (c)       The details of the initiatives taken by MSDE through its Autonomous Institutions, i.e  National  Institute  for  Entrepreneurship  and  Small  Business  Development  (NIESBUD)  and Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE), Guwahati, to promote entrepreneurship during the last five  years  across  the  Country  including  the  State  of  Kerala  and  the  details  of  funds  is  at Annexure-I .

Further, the other Ministries/Departments of Government has taken various initiatives to promote entrepreneurship across the Country including the State of Kerala. The details of the few  of  the  initiatives  taken  by  other  Ministries/Departments  of  the  Government  to  promote entrepreneurship including the details of funds in the last five years are at Annexure-II .

## ANNEXURES REFERRED TO IN REPLY OF PART (a) to (c) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION  NO. 1660 ANSWERED  ON  10.03.2025  REGARDING  'PROMOTING  OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN TECHNICAL AND PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION'

Details of the various initiatives taken by MSDE to promote entrepreneurship during the last five years across the Country including the State of Kerala and the details of funds are as under:

1. Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya MahaAbhiyan (PM JANMAN) MSDE through its Autonomous  Institutes,  NIESBUD  and  IIE  is  implementing  the  skilling  and  entrepreneurship component of Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyaan (PM JANMAN) - a scheme of Ministry of Tribal Affairs for upliftment of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), since March  2024.  The  project  is  being  implemented  with  support  of  Tribal  Cooperative  Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) in 18 States across the country under which a total of 500 VDVKs are to be set up. NIESBUD has conducted training of 37,642 participants across the country with a total fund of Rs. 23.47 crore allocated as a special project under PMKVY . NIESBUD has conducted training of 425 participants under the project during FY 2024-25 in the State of Kerala.
2.    Entrepreneurial  Climate  through  Training  of  Trainers  (ToTs)  and  Entrepreneurship Development  Programme  (EDP)  in  Jan  Shikshan  Sansthans  (JSSs)  NIESBUD  has implemented  a  project  for  creating  entrepreneurial  climate  through  the  Training  of  Trainers (ToTs) and the Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP) in Jan Shikshan Sansthans (JSSs)  from  October  2022  to  September  2023.  The  project  aimed  at  creating,  fostering  and promoting  the  spirit  of  entrepreneurship  among  the  various  target  groups  through  Capacity Building,  Mentoring  and  Handholding.  NIESBUD  has  conducted  training  of  2,633  participants through  the  Training  of  Trainers  (ToTs)  and  the  Entrepreneurship  Development  Programme (EDP)  in  Jan  Shikshan  Sansthans  (JSSs)  with  a  total  allocated  fund  of  Rs.  1.78  crore. NIESBUD has conducted training of 69 Trainers during the FY 2022-23 in the State of Kerala.
3.      Strengthening  Entrepreneurial Climate through  Capacity  Building,  Incubation Support, Mentoring, and Handholding under SANKALP Scheme - MSDE though NIESBUD implemented a project for strengthening the entrepreneurship ecosystem of different marginalized sections of the society and women with the support of the Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness  for Livelihood Promotion (SANKALP)  Scheme  of  MSDE,  since December  2022.  The  project  aimed  at  creating, fostering and  promoting  the  spirit of entrepreneurship  among  the  various  target  groups  through  Capacity  Building,  Incubation Support, Mentoring and Handholding. SANKALP has been implemented in three phases. Under SANKALP 1, a total of 23,825 beneficiaries have been trained during Financial Years 2022-23 to 2024-25 with a total allocated fund of Rs. 19.84 crore. Under SANKALP 2, a total of 24,000 beneficiaries have been trained during Financial Year 2022-23 to 2024-25 with a total allocated fund of Rs. 20.90 crore. Under SANKALP 3, a total of 15,000 beneficiaries have been trained during FY 2024-25, with a total allocated fund of Rs. 10.77 crore.
4. Skill  Strengthening  for  Industrial  Value  Enhancement  (STRIVE) -  Under  the  Skill Strengthening for Industrial Value Enhancement (STRIVE) of MSDE, NIESBUD has conducted awareness  and  sensitization  programmes  at  National  Skill  Training  Institutes  (NSTIs)  and Industrial  Training  Institutes  (ITIs)  between  October  2023  to  May  2024. These  activities  were followed  by  the  selection  of  prospective  entrepreneurs  to  undergo  the  Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP). The Institute has successfully conducted EDP training for the target  groups  and  is  providing  mentoring  and  handholding  support  to  help  trainees  establish their  enterprises.  NIESBUD  has  conducted  training  of  77,430  participants  across  the  country with a total allocated fund of Rs. 16.83 crore.
5.          Capacity  Building  Programme  for  Fair  Price  Shop  Owners  NIESBUD,  in collaboration with the Department of Food and Public Distribution, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food  and  Public  Distribution,  has  undertaken  a  Capacity  Building  Programme  for  Fair  Price Shop  (FPS)  Owners.  The  project  is  being  undertaken  as  Special  Project  under  PMKVY  to enable the FPS owners to run their businesses in consonance with the contemporary practices being adopted by Retail Entrepreneurs. The programme aims to equip the participants with indepth  knowledge  of  various  facets  of  entrepreneurship,  financial  and  digital  literacy,  and government support  ecosystem.  NIESBUD  has  conducted training of  315  participants  across the  country  with  a  total  allocated  fund  of  Rs.  1.67  crore  as  a  special  project  under  Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) during FY 2024-25.
6. Comprehensive  Entrepreneurship  and  Skill  Development  Training  Program  for Tribal Artisans and Micro Level Entrepreneurs in NER under SANKALP scheme IIE has implemented Entrepreneurship and Skill Development Training Program for Tribal Artisans and Micro Level Entrepreneurs in NER under SANKALP scheme. The program focusses on crucial aspects  of  capacity  building, including product  diversification,  technology  utilization,  and effective business activities, packaging and branding strategies. The program was implemented from January 2024 to October, 2024 with the total sanctioned amount of Rs. 14.23 crore. IIE has trained 10,000 participants under the program.
7. Establishment of Entrepreneurship Development Cell in ITI and NSTI of NER under STRIVE  Scheme - Under the STRIVE scheme, IIE has established entrepreneurship development  cells  across  National  Skill  Training  Institutes  (NSTIs)  and  Industrial  Training Institutes  (ITIs)  in  the  Northeastern  Region  (NER).  IIE  has  conducted  Entrepreneurship Awareness  Programs  (EAPs),  Entrepreneurship  Development  Programs  (EDPs)  and  Faculty Development Programs (FDPs) followed by mentoring and handholding. IIE has trained 11,000 candidates through EAP and 8,332 through EDP. Further, 80 faculties from 94 ITIs and 2 NSTIs have  received  specialized  training  through  FDPs. The  project  was  implemented  from  March 2024 to December, 2024 with a sanctioned amount of Rs. 7,88,80,928.

Details of the various initiatives taken by other Ministries/Departments of the Government to  promote  entrepreneurship  including  the  details  of  funds  allocated  and utilized in the last five years are as under:

1. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) - MeitY has undertaken few initiatives and measures to promote a technology-led startups and innovation ecosystem in the country including the State of Kerala. Some of the major initiatives are as under:

(i) Technology  Incubation  and  Development  of  Entrepreneurs  (TIDE  2.0  Scheme) -MeitY  has  initiated  'Technology  Incubation  and  Development  of  Entrepreneurs  (TIDE  2.0)' Scheme in the year 2019 with an aim to promote tech-based entrepreneurship through financial and technical support to  51 incubators with  an outlay  of  Rs.  264.62  crore  over  a  period  of 5 years. Till now, a total of Rs. 206.88 crore has been released to 51 TIDE 2.0 centres. Under TIDE  2.0  Scheme,  one  incubation  centre  namely  'Maker  Village-Kochi  at  IIITM-Kerala'  is functioning as TIDE 2.0 centre in Kerala.

(ii) GENESIS (Gen-Next Support for Innovative Startups) : MeitY has launched the 'GenNext Support for Innovative Startups (GENESIS)' Scheme with the aim to strengthen the startup ecosystem in  Tier-II  and  Tier-III  cities  across  India.  The  scheme  envisages  scaling  up  about 1,600 technology startups through 65 Implementing Agencies with an outlay of Rs. 490 crore over period of five  years. As  on date,  Rs. 10.80 crore has been released under the scheme. Under the scheme, four Centre namely (i) Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode Laboratory for  Innovation  Venturing  and  Entrepreneurship,  (ii)  Maker  Village  Kochi,  (iii)  Technology Business  Incubator  NIT  Calicut  (TBI  NITC)  and  (iv)  Amrita  Technology  Business  Incubator, Kollam are selected for supporting startups to promote Entrepreneurship and Innovation in State of Kerala.

2.     Department of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare (DA&FW) DA&FW is implementing 'Innovation and Agri-Entrepreneurship Development' programme under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana  (RKVY)  from  2018-19  onwards  with  an  objective  to  promote  innovation  and  agrientrepreneurship  by  providing financial  support  and  nurturing  an  incubation  ecosystem  in  the country. The total Budget Estimates allocated under the Agri-entrepreneurship programme and fund released from 2018-19 to 2024-25 are as under:

(Rs. In crore)

| Year    |   Allocation |   Fund released (Upto 28.02.2025) |
|---------|--------------|-----------------------------------|
| 2018-19 |       238    |                             39.9  |
| 2019-20 |       123.7  |                             15.27 |
| 2020-21 |       119.4  |                             48    |
| 2021-22 |       102.85 |                             31.6  |
| 2022-23 |       132.34 |                             35.5  |
| 2023-24 |       106.05 |                             62.28 |
| 2024-25 |       133.52 |                             43.54 |
| Total   |       955.86 |                            276.09 |

DA&FW  has  appointed five Knowledge Partners (KPs) and twenty-four  RKVY Agribusiness  Incubators  (R-ABIs)  from  across  the  country  for  implementation  assistance  and incubation of startups under this programme. Under this programme, for idea/pre-seed stage, a selected  start-up  shall  be  eligible  for  a  maximum  financial  assistance  of  Rs.  five  lakh  in  one instalment.   For  seed  stage,  a  selected  start-up  shall  be  eligible  for  a  maximum  financial assistance  of  Rs.  Twenty  five  lakh  in  two  instalment  of  50%  and  50%  based  on  the recommendation given by the Selection and Investment  Committee(SIC).   Each KP can select a  maximum 20-25  start-ups  and  each  R-ABI  can  select  a  maximum  10-12  start-ups  in  each category  of  pre  seed  and  seed  stage  in  a  financial  year.  Trainings,  Technical  and  financial assistance is provided to startups to launch their products, services, business platforms, etc into the  market  and  facilitate  them  to  scale  up  their  products  and  operations  to  attain  business viability.  More  than  5000  Agri-Startups  have  been  trained  by  KPs  and  R-ABIs  under  this programme.

So far, 1749 Agri-Startups have been supported with technical and financial assistance under this programme during FY 2019-20 to 2024-25 (as on date). The funding support of Rs. Rs. 124.96 crore grants-in-aid have been released in installments for funding to these 1749 agriStartups to the respective KPs & R-ABIs by DA&FW. Start-ups are taking projects in various field of agriculture and allied sectors

3. Ministry  of  Micro  Small  and  Medium  Enterprises  (MSME) -  Ministry  of  MSME, through  Khadi  and  Village  Industries  Commission  (KVIC),  is  implementing  Prime  Minister's Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) for assisting entrepreneurs in setting up of new enterprises  in  the  non-farm  sector.  It  aims  to  provide  employment  opportunities  to  traditional artisans/ rural and urban unemployed youth at their doorstep. PMEGP being a Central Sector Scheme assists General Category beneficiaries with Margin Money (MM) subsidy of 25% of the project  cost  in  rural  areas  and  15%  in  urban  areas.   For  beneficiaries  belonging  to  Special Categories  such  as  Scheduled  Castes,  Scheduled  Tribes,  OBCs,  Minorities,  Women,  Exservicemen,  Physically  Handicapped,  Transgenders,  beneficiaries  belonging  to  Northeastern Region, Hill and Border areas, and Aspirational Districts, the Margin Money subsidy is 35% in rural  areas  and  25%  in  urban  areas.  The  maximum  cost  of  project  is  Rs.  50  lakhs  in  the manufacturing sector and Rs. 20 lakhs in the service sector. Own contribution of beneficiaries under Special Category  is  05%  and  10%  for  General  Category  beneficiaries.  Since  2018-19, existing  PMEGP  /MUDRA  enterprises  are  also  supported  based  on  past  good  performances with 2nd loan for upgradation and expansion. Under 2 nd Loan, maximum project cost admissible for Margin Money (MM) subsidy under Manufacturing sector is Rs. 1.00 crore and for Service sector is Rs. 25 Lakhs. Eligible subsidy on 2 nd loan for all categories is 15% of project cost (20% for NER & Hill States).

The performance of PMEGP throughout the country in terms of number of applications received, number of  units  assisted,  margin  money  (MM)  subsidy  disbursed  and  estimated  employment generated during the last five years is as under:

| Financial Year   | No. of Units Assisted   | MMSubsidy (Rs. Cr.)   | Estimated Employment Generated   |
|------------------|-------------------------|-----------------------|----------------------------------|
| 2019-20          | 66,653                  | 1,950.82              | 5,33,224                         |
| 2020-21          | 74,415                  | 2,188.80              | 5,95,320                         |
| 2021-22          | 1,03,219                | 2,977.65              | 8,25,752                         |
| 2022-23          | 85,167                  | 2,722.17              | 6,81,336                         |
| 2023-24          | 89,118                  | 3,093.87              | 7,12,944                         |

The performance of PMEGP in the State of Kerala in terms of number of applications received, number of  units  assisted,  margin  money  (MM)  subsidy  disbursed  and  estimated  employment generated during the last five years is as under:

| Financial Year   | No. of Units Assisted   |   MMSubsidy (Rs. Cr.) | Estimated Employment Generated   |
|------------------|-------------------------|-----------------------|----------------------------------|
| 2019-20          | 2,438                   |                 53.22 | 19,504                           |
| 2020-21          | 2,389                   |                 52.25 | 19,112                           |

| 2021-22   | 2,789   |   68.58 | 22,312   |
|-----------|---------|---------|----------|
| 2022-23   | 3,129   |   73.29 | 25,032   |
| 2023-24   | 3,389   |   78.81 | 27,112   |

4. Department of Science and Technology (DST) - In order to foster innovation among the startups in the country, Department of Science and Technology (DST) launched an umbrella program 'NIDHI' (National  Initiative  for  Developing  and  Harnessing  innovations)  in  2016.  The NIDHI program has been helpful in creating state-of-the art infrastructure for incubating startups in  technology  sectors  through  Technology  Business  Incubators (TBIs),  Centres  of  Excellence (CoE)  and Inclusive  Technology  Business  Incubators  (iTBIs) in  academic  setups  to  extend incubation, mentoring and training support to innovative startups in various technology domains. The details of funds allocated and utilized towards promotion of entrepreneurship under NIDHI scheme is as under:

(Rs. In crore)

| Financial year   |   Funds allocated | Funds utilized   |
|------------------|-------------------|------------------|
| 2020-21          |               230 | 116              |
| 2021-22          |               215 | 173              |
| 2022-23          |               180 | 151              |
| 2023-24          |               160 | 118              |
| 2024-25          |               122 | 115*             |

*upto 15 th January 2025

Further, the following Technology Business Incubators (TBIs) have been established in the state of Kerala during the last five years:

|   Sno. | Name of TBI                                                                     | Schemes implemented   |
|--------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------|
|      1 | SCTIMST-TIMed                                                                   | TBI & PRAYAS Centre   |
|      2 | TBI- NIT Calicut                                                                | TBI & PRAYAS Centre   |
|      3 | Amrita Technology Business Incubator                                            | TBI & PRAYAS Centre   |
|      4 | CET TBI                                                                         | TBI                   |
|      5 | Startups Valley                                                                 | TBI                   |
|      6 | Technopark Technology Business Incubator (Kerala Startup Mission)               | TBI & PRAYAS Centre   |
|      7 | Indian Telecom Innovation Hub - Technology Business Incubator (Startup Village) | TBI                   |
|      8 | IIMK LIVE (Laboratory for Innovation, Venturing and Entrepreneurship)           | TBI                   |
|      9 | IITMK - Maker Village                                                           | PRAYAS Centre         |

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