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The Navachar Mantra initiative was recently launched by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) to strengthen grassroots entrepreneurship and promote innovation-led growth across India.

• It aims to identify, nurture, and scale promising innovators and early-stage entrepreneurs, particularly from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, aspirational districts, and underserved regions.
• The programme is being implemented by the National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD), with the Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT), IIT Delhi serving as the technical knowledge partner.

Key Features

• Navachar Mantra seeks to create a structured support ecosystem for innovators working in sectors such as Agritech, HealthTech, EdTech and Skilling, Climate and Sustainability, Rural Commerce, and MSME Enablement.
• Selected innovators will gain access to policymakers, industry leaders, investors, and domain experts, enabling them to strengthen business models and scale their ventures.
• The initiative includes a year-long engagement programme comprising mentorship, innovation showcases, investor interactions, and capacity-building sessions.
• Participants will also receive support in areas such as market access, intellectual property rights, regulatory compliance, fundraising, and scaling strategies.
• A major focus of the programme is inclusivity, ensuring that innovators from smaller towns and rural areas receive mentorship, visibility, and growth opportunities.
• It also aims to provide national recognition through innovation showcases, digital campaigns, and ecosystem events.

Significance

Navachar Mantra represents an important step towards strengthening India's innovation ecosystem by connecting grassroots innovators with government, academia, industry, and investment networks. By encouraging local solutions to local challenges, it seeks to contribute to the vision of an innovation-driven and entrepreneurial Viksit Bharat.