The Bharatiya Yuva Shakti Trust (BYST) has partnered with Yardi Software India Pvt. Ltd. to launch the Young Grampreneur Development Programme. This initiative aims to strengthen the district’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by training and mentoring young, aspiring business owners.

The programme directly addresses youth unemployment by targeting rural youth, women, and underserved SC/ST communities. It builds on BYST’s nine-year regional track record of supporting over 1,000 entrepreneurs during which it has trained more than 25,000 youth,. The new programme will focus on supporting 100 young entrepreneurs with mentoring and bank-linked financial assistance, and training 150 institutional mentors through BYST’s Mentoring India initiative.

Key Programme Milestones

• Youth Outreach: Reaching 6,400 youth through awareness campaigns.
• Business Counselling: One-on-one guidance for 1,900 youth.
• Entrepreneurship Training: Certified STEP training for 800 youth.
• Direct Enterprise Support: Mentoring 100 entrepreneurs with bank-linked funding.
• Financial Impact: Facilitating ₹5 crore in loans through partner banks.
• Job Creation: Enabling 1,500 direct and indirect local jobs.
• Mentor Training: Developing 150 institutional mentors via Mentoring India®.

  Leadership Perspectives

  Lakshmi Venkataraman Venkatesan, Founding and Managing Trustee of BYST, emphasised that micro-enterprises in manufacturing, service, and retail keep money circulating locally. She noted the programme helps youth transition from informal work into stable small businesses.

  Bharati Kotwal, CSR Head at Yardi Software India, highlighted that the partnership provides essential capital, networks, and mentoring. This guidance helps young entrepreneurs build viable, digitally aware enterprises connected to regional markets.

  Over the coming year, BYST will collaborate with local universities, incubation centres, and banks to identify viable ideas and ensure smooth credit access.