EMPOWERED BY BUSINESS BLASTER, PUNJAB GOVT SCHOOL STUDENTS REWRITE THEIR DESTINY

In a powerful story of dreams, determination, and innovation rising from humble beginnings, government school students from across Punjab are set to showcase their entrepreneurial creations at the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Ropar on July 5.

- TARUNI GANDHI

This isn't a typical school exhibition. It's a live demonstration of what happens when the right policy meets raw talent and passion.

Nearly 50 teams of government school students many from families of daily wage labourers and marginal backgrounds - will pitch their startups before a gathering of industrialists, potential investors, and mentors. The event is part of the Punjab Government's ambitious 'Business Blaster Young Entrepreneur' programme, which has become a launchpad for young innovators in the state's public education system.

A SEED OF CHANGE

Launched in 2022 as a pilot project, the Business Blaster scheme was introduced to instil entrepreneurial thinking in school students, going beyond textbook education. Initially rolled out in just 32 government senior secondary schools across 9 districts, the programme reached 11,041 students in its first year. Encouraged by the overwhelming response, the Punjab School Education Department expanded the initiative statewide.

In the 2024-25 academic session, the programme has now touched 1,920 government schools and engaged over 1.38 lakh Class 12 students, of whom 52,050 have been shortlisted based on their project ideas, feasibility, and innovation. Each selected student received ₹2,000 as seed funding to kick-start their business idea.

A MINISTER'S VISION