New Delhi | January 15, 2026: The Government of NCT of Delhi successfully hosted the Campus to Market: Delhi Startup Yuva Festival 2026, marking a significant milestone in the city’s journey toward becoming India’s leading hub for student‑driven entrepreneurship. Organized by the Department of Training & Technical Education (DTTE) in collaboration with TiE Delhi‑NCR, the festival brought together student innovators, startup founders, investors, incubators, academia, and policymakers on one high‑impact platform.
This initiative reflects a strong commitment to building a structured campus‑to‑market pipeline, ensuring that student ideas are nurtured into investment‑ready ventures.
The festival was graced by:
- Shri Jayant Chaudhary, Hon’ble Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Government of India
- Smt. Rekha Gupta, Hon’ble Chief Minister, Government of NCT of Delhi
- Shri Ashish Sood, Hon’ble Minister for Education, Higher Education, Home, Power, Urban Development, and Training & Technical Education, Government of NCT of Delhi
Their presence reinforced the Government’s strategic emphasis on fostering an inclusive, sustainable startup ecosystem anchored in youth innovation.
Key Highlights:
- Policy Vision: Shri Jayant Chaudhary emphasized India’s demographic dividend and the importance of skill‑based opportunities, experiential learning, and competency‑driven education under the National Education Policy (NEP).
- Youth Innovation: Smt. Rekha Gupta highlighted that Delhi’s young innovators have both the ideas and ambition to build globally competitive enterprises. She noted India’s growth from 500 startups and 4 unicorns in 2014 to over 2,10,000 startups and 120+ unicorns today, with 750+ students participating in the festival.
- Startup Pipeline: Shri Ashish Sood announced the Top 100 shortlisted student startups from over 750 applications, reaffirming entrepreneurship as a viable career pathway. He outlined Delhi’s integrated approach:
- 470+ startups incubated generating ₹500–600 crore in revenue
- 4–5 jobs created per startup
- Equity‑free seed grants up to ₹10 lakh for selected ventures
- Encouragement grants of ₹1 lakh for 100 startups
- A new Startup Policy with a ₹325 crore outlay over five years to support 5,000 startups by 2035, aligned with Vision 2047
Festival Activities
- Startup Showcase: Student‑led innovations across technology, sustainability, health, education, skill development, social impact, and ITI‑driven solutions.
- Inspirational Sessions:
- Dr. Apurva Chamaria, Global Head – VC & Startup Partnerships, Google: AI opportunity for founders
- Swati Bhargava, Co‑Founder, CashKaro & EarnKaro: Building trusted brands
- Ankur Warikoo, Founder, WebVeda: Personal leadership in entrepreneurship
- Top 6 Startups Announced: Biocare Ventures LLP (FlushSHE), AllSecureX, HeliousAI, Heuronics Pvt Ltd, Logify360, and Arista Vaulti. Each received seed grants up to ₹10 lakh, while 100 shortlisted startups received ₹1 lakh encouragement grants.
- Founder Conversations:
- Aloke Bajpai, Co‑Founder & Group CEO, ixigo: From Idea to IPO – Lessons Learned
- Satya Narayanan R, Founder & Chairman, CL Educate: Startup Secrets They Don’t Teach
- Policy Roundtable: Chaired by Shri Ashish Sood with industry leaders, focusing on strengthening Delhi’s startup ecosystem, founder‑friendly policies, and global competitiveness.
Ecosystem Collaboration:
Ms. Geetika Dayal, Director General, TiE Delhi‑NCR, said: “Campus‑to‑Market marks a defining moment in Delhi’s entrepreneurial journey—where classroom ideas are transformed into market‑ready ventures. Together with TiE Delhi‑NCR’s global network and mentorship depth, this partnership creates a powerful launchpad for student entrepreneurs.”
Impact & Vision:
- 75,000+ students engaged in entrepreneurship and innovation programmes
- 550+ startups incubated through public institutions
- 15,000+ DPIIT‑recognized startups contributing to Delhi’s dynamic startup hub status
Aligned with Viksit Bharat @2047, NEP 2020, Startup India, and Skill India, the festival has been institutionalized as an annual flagship programme under DTTE.
About Campus to Market: Delhi Startup Yuva Festival & DTTE:
The Campus to Market: Delhi Startup Yuva Festival is the Government of Delhi’s flagship platform dedicated to strengthening the campus‑to‑market pipeline. It fosters early‑stage ideas into investment‑ready ventures through structured collaboration between government, academia, industry leaders, and investors, reinforcing Delhi’s innovation economy for the long term.
