In a major step toward enhancing the inclusive startup landscape in India, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with YourStory Media Private Limited, a renowned digital media platform focused on entrepreneurship. Announced on June 20, 2025, this strategic collaboration aims to empower one million Indian entrepreneurs, especially from tier-II, tier-III cities, and rural regions, through the power of AI-based technology, venture launchpads, and vernacular storytelling under the flagship Bharat Project.

This MoU represents DPIIT's commitment to strengthening India’s startup ecosystem by making it more inclusive, accessible, and innovation-driven, especially for underserved segments of society. As India accelerates its journey toward becoming a global startup hub, this partnership is expected to redefine grassroots entrepreneurship through policy-driven collaborations with private ecosystem enablers.

The Bharat Project: A Vision for Equitable Innovation

At the heart of this initiative lies the Bharat Project, an ambitious program conceptualized by YourStory and supported by DPIIT. This project aims to transform India’s entrepreneurial culture by identifying, nurturing, and scaling startups and entrepreneurial efforts in non-metro areas, especially in remote and rural belts where support ecosystems are still nascent.

Key objectives of the Bharat Project include:

• Empowering 1 million entrepreneurs across India.

• Leveraging artificial intelligence tools to guide early-stage innovators.

• Providing venture launchpads to enable faster product-to-market journeys.

• Promoting regional language storytelling to democratize knowledge, learning, and visibility for local entrepreneurs.

The idea is to go beyond mainstream urban ecosystems and build a strong rural digital startup movement—one that aligns with India’s broader Digital India and Startup India missions.

Leveraging Tech, Platforms, and Partnerships

Through this collaboration, DPIIT and YourStory plan to scale engagement and support for entrepreneurs using cutting-edge technologies like:

• Artificial Intelligence (AI)

• Generative AI (GenAI)

• Blockchain

• Big Data and Analytics

These technologies will be embedded into platforms that offer founder-investor matchmaking, digital storytelling, product showcases, and policy guidance, among others. Additionally, events like startup pitch days, accelerator programs, demo days, and innovation hackathons will be organized under the DPIIT–YourStory partnership to catalyze participation from students, young professionals, grassroots innovators, and sectoral experts.

The partnership also aims to tap into developer-centric platforms, open innovation spaces, and regional innovation hubs to ensure that entrepreneurs are not only empowered technologically but also inspired by relatable success stories and equipped with the resources they need to thrive.

Statements from DPIIT and YourStory Leadership

At the formal signing ceremony, Mr. Sanjiv Singh, Joint Secretary, DPIIT, lauded the initiative as a critical milestone in India’s journey toward democratizing entrepreneurship. He emphasized that “this partnership will enable last-mile access to tools, mentoring, and market connect for those who are often overlooked by traditional frameworks.”

Mr. Rajesh Kumar, Deputy Secretary at DPIIT, who officially signed the MoU on behalf of the government, added that this program would also work to “institutionalize support systems in lesser-developed geographies”, helping reduce information asymmetry and regional innovation divides.

Ms. Shradha Sharma, Founder & CEO of YourStory and the driving force behind the Bharat Project, expressed her enthusiasm, saying:
“India’s entrepreneurial story must be told in all languages, across all pin codes. This MoU allows us to power that story with AI, insights, and empathy, creating a future where every aspiring innovator, regardless of location, has a platform to shine.”

A Public-Private Model for Inclusive Growth

The DPIIT–YourStory collaboration represents an evolving model of public-private partnerships in India’s innovation economy. As the Indian government seeks to deepen private sector engagement in national missions like Digital India, Make in India, and Startup India, this initiative is a blueprint for inclusive development that bridges the gap between policy formulation and on-ground execution.

What distinguishes this MoU is its sharp focus on rural entrepreneurship, women-led enterprises, and non-English speaking founders—segments traditionally underrepresented in national startup metrics.

Scope and Future Plans

Moving forward, the partnership will implement a phased rollout of:

• 100 regional startup storytelling campaigns

• A network of AI-powered startup advisory platforms

• 20+ regional innovation summits across state capitals and district headquarters

• A Vernacular Founder Playbook Series capturing entrepreneurial wisdom in Indian languages

• An investor-founder bridge program linking grassroots ventures with domestic and global VCs

Additionally, DPIIT aims to establish knowledge-sharing partnerships with incubators, angel networks, academic institutions, and industry groups across India using the collaborative model enabled through this MoU.

Conclusion

The MoU signed between DPIIT and YourStory on June 20, 2025, is not just another government announcement—it is a strategic national move toward inclusive entrepreneurship, designed to reshape India’s innovation landscape from the grassroots up. With a target of empowering 1 million entrepreneurs, especially from tier-II, tier-III, and rural India, this initiative promises to be a game-changer for the Indian economy and a template for global emerging markets.

By combining DPIIT’s policy depth and YourStory’s digital storytelling and platform-building expertise, India is reaffirming its leadership in innovation-led economic development. The AI-first approach, the Bharat-centric focus, and the emphasis on underrepresented voices ensure that this partnership will be both inclusive and impactful—truly living up to India’s vision of "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas" in the startup era.

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