Navachar Mantra: National Initiative for Grassroots Innovators and Entrepreneurs

Key facts

• The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) launched ‘Navachar Mantra’, a national initiative to strengthen grassroots entrepreneurship and support scalable innovations from Tier 2, Tier 3, and rural India.
• The programme is 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.
• The initiative focuses on priority sectors including Agritech, HealthTech, EdTech and Skilling, Climate and Sustainability, Rural Commerce, and MSME Enablement.
• It aims to provide mentorship, visibility, and growth opportunities to innovators from Tier-2 and Tier-3 towns, aspirational districts, and underserved geographies.
• Applications for the programme are open until July 5, 2026, and selected participants will be inducted into a year-long engagement programme.