India 18 February 2025: Devbhoomi Udyamita Yojana (DUY), initiated and supported by the Higher Education Department, Govt. of Uttarakhand and implemented by Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, Ahmedabad has been honoured with the SKOCH AWARD. The Project has won a Gold Medal under the category of Education. Project DUY competed with over 40 entries to secure this Award.
SKOCH Award is India’s highest independent civilian honour. SKOCH Award salutes people, projects and institutions for their extraordinary achievements in contributing to society.
Launched in September 2023, Devbhoomi Udyamita Yojana (DUY) is a key initiative aimed at promoting entrepreneurship and providing a potent platform to aspiring entrepreneurs across the state of Uttarakhand.
EDII, as implementing agency for the Project, has been striving to promote and strengthen an entrepreneurial ecosystem through various initiatives aimed at fostering new enterprise creation by aspiring youth entrepreneurs through promotion of innovations, skill development and training.
One of the key initiatives is the Startup Bootcamps, which engage students by helping them develop business ideas, learn about government schemes, and acquire necessary legal, entrepreneurial and managerial knowledge. Additionally, the Faculty Mentor Development Programme trains faculty members, enabling them to in turn train, mentor and nurture entrepreneurial talent among youths of higher education institutions. DUY also conducts intensive Entrepreneurship Development Programmes (EDPs) for youth, providing them with practical skills in business management, marketing, finance, and other critical entrepreneurial skills and competencies.
The Student Startup Seed Fund offers financial assistance to the best startup ideas, while the establishment of Centres of Excellence (CoE) at institutions (across various sectors, Agriculture and Allied Sector, tourism, food processing, art & craft etc), serves as a hub for innovation and startup support.
In line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, DUY is also integrating entrepreneurship education into mainstream curricula through short-term vocational courses.
These initiatives are designed to create a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem in Uttarakhand.
So far EDII has put in place a cadre of 185 trained faculty mentors; 12300 students have been sensitised on the benefits of pursuing entrepreneurship and 4059 have been trained under Entrepreneurship Development Programmes.
Achievements at a glance….
- Enterprises set up: 370 (128 males and 278 females)
- Revenue Generated: 462.00 Lakh.
- Employment Created:
- Direct: 397
- Indirect: 545+
- Total Investments (mobilized by student entrepreneurs both from self & Government supports) : Rs. 333.89 Lakh
- Established 124 Devbhoomi Udhyamita Kendras (DUKs) in Higher Education Institutions.
- Patents
- Filed: 7
- Under Process: 20
- Trademark Applied: 5
Reacting on the prestigious recognition received, Dr. Ranjit Kumar Sinha, Secretary of Higher Education Department, Govt. of Uttarakhand said, “We are incredibly proud to see the Devbhoomi Udyamita Yojana receive the prestigious SKOCH Gold Award in Education, a recognition that reflects the hard work of Government of Uttarakhand and of our partner EDII, in instituting entrepreneurship in the state. Since its inception, the project has proven to be a powerful platform for youth empowerment.”
According to EDII Director General, Dr. Sunil Shukla, “There is immense potential in our youth. Besides, Uttarakhand is a state that abounds in resources and the youth here are bustling with innovative ideas. EDII trained, mentored and nurtured their ideas, linking them up with new technologies to ensure new sustainable enterprises in an entrepreneurially conducive environment.”
Opining on the award and the project achievements, Dr. Amit Kumar Dwivedi, Project Director, said, “Through a well thought-out, tailormade curriculum plan, the project is committed to preparing young minds to become job creators rather than job seekers. This achievement wouldn’t have been possible without the continuous support of the Higher Education Department of Uttarakhand. We are grateful to them and look forward to recording many more accomplishments in the coming times.”
