Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 27 May: Under the Kaushalam programme, SCERT Uttarakhand, in collaboration with Udhyam Learning Foundation, has introduced structured mentorship for Class 11 students through the Mukhyamantri Udyamshala initiative, supporting them in building and developing business ideas and preparing to present them at district- and state-level platforms.
Through this initiative, students receive guidance from mentors and practitioners through specialised sessions designed to strengthen different aspects of business-building. So far, the programme has reached 13 districts, delivered 30+ specialised sessions, and engaged over 15,000 students and teachers across the state. Mentors include local entrepreneurs and industry practitioners, with support from educators and district officials.
Kaushalam, launched in 2021, is currently running across 2,127 schools in the state for students from Grades 9 to 12, with a focus on building entrepreneurial mindsets through hands-on learning. As part of the programme, students learn by building and running their own business ideas, developing practical skills through real-world application.
At the centre of this approach is learning by doing. Students begin by identifying an idea, and then move through the process of building a product or service and taking it to customers. As they do this, they learn how choices around product quality, packaging, branding, pricing, and sales influence outcomes. Alongside this, they build financial skills such as budgeting, costing, pricing strategy, and record-keeping, while also understanding basic compliance, safety standards, and legal requirements relevant to their products.
Mentorship sessions cover practical areas such as marketing strategies and branding techniques, leveraging social media for promotion, packaging essentials, and building stronger product identity. These sessions are designed to help students refine their ideas and better prepare for customer-facing and showcase opportunities.
Students are supported throughout this process through workshops, in-school sessions, and district-level interactions. They regularly present their ideas, engage with mentors, and receive feedback to improve their work over time. This helps them move beyond one-time projects and build confidence in their ability to make independent decisions.
Opportunities to showcase their work at district- and state-level platforms form an important part of the programme, with mentorship helping students build the confidence and readiness needed to present their ideas in these settings. These platforms allow students to present their products, interact with experts, and understand how their ideas perform in real-world settings, while also building communication skills and a sense of ownership.
Under Kaushalam, schools are also supported through seed funding of Rs 5,000 each under the Business Support Fund (BSF), enabling students to develop and strengthen their business ideas as they take them forward.
For parents, the initiative reflects a shift towards more meaningful and outcome-oriented education. Alongside academic learning, students develop confidence, financial awareness, communication, and problem-solving skills that are directly applicable beyond the classroom.
Udhyam Learning Foundation, which has enabled similar programmes across 15 states—reaching over 4.7 million students and working with more than 50,000 teachers—is supporting the programme as a knowledge partner. Its work is backed by rigorous evaluations, including a World Bank-led randomised controlled trial and a 10-year longitudinal study with McGill University.
“Under Kaushalam, we are strengthening entrepreneurship education in schools by ensuring that students receive sustained mentorship while developing real-world ideas. This process helps them build confidence, refine their problem-solving abilities, and prepare to present their innovations on larger platforms, engage constructively with feedback, and take their ideas forward,” said Sunil Bhatt, State Coordinator, Kaushalam, SCERT, Uttarakhand.
“What we see consistently is that the real shift happens when students start making decisions and taking responsibility for outcomes. As they build products, interact with customers, and respond to feedback, their confidence and clarity grow. Mentorship plays a critical role here — it helps them reflect, iterate, and move their ideas forward with greater intent,” added Mekin Maheswari, CEO and Co-founder, Udhyam Learning Foundation.
Udhyam Learning Foundation is a nonprofit organisation committed to making India entrepreneurial. Founded in 2017 by Mekin Maheshwari, founder member and former Chief People Officer at Flipkart, Udhyam works at the intersection of education and livelihoods to build entrepreneurial mindsets at scale. Through Udhyam Shiksha, the organisation partners with state governments to embed entrepreneurship within public education systems across 15 states, reaching 4.7 million students in 11,500+ government schools and working with over 50,000 teachers through experiential, real-world learning.
Udhyam also runs Udhyam Vyapaar, which supports over 10,000 nano-entrepreneurs across 8 states through on-ground mentoring designed to strengthen business capabilities and enable sustainable income growth, contributing to an income upliftment of over Rs. 36 crore. By working closely with governments, educators and entrepreneur communities, Udhyam aims to enable large-scale systemic change that expands opportunity and economic participation across India.
