Punjab plans to expand its 'Business Class' entrepreneurship programme to all undergraduate degree courses from the 2026-27 academic session after more than 20,000 student-led ventures generated nearly ₹90 crore in revenue during its first year, according to the state government.
The programme, launched under the Bhagwant Mann government's 'Sikhya Kranti' initiative, was introduced as a compulsory two-credit course for students pursuing BCom, BBA, BTech, BVoc, as well as those enrolled in ITIs and polytechnics. Higher and Technical Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains said the programme covered nearly 95,000 students across 925 higher and technical education institutions in Punjab during the 2025-26 academic session.
According to the government, 25,693 students started businesses under the initiative, while 20,241 ventures collectively generated close to ₹90 crore in revenue within the first year.
"The objective is not merely to award degrees but to nurture a generation of young innovators, entrepreneurs and job creators," Bains said. He added that the initiative is designed to prepare students to create employment opportunities rather than only seek jobs.
Programme to cover all undergraduate courses
The programme currently operates across 20 universities, 494 colleges, 320 ITIs and 91 polytechnics. Following its first-year performance, vice chancellors of universities across Punjab have unanimously recommended extending it beyond professional courses to students enrolled in BA, BSc and other undergraduate programmes from the next academic session.
The curriculum focuses on practical entrepreneurship, including identifying business opportunities, market validation, customer acquisition, pricing, financial planning, digital presence and communication skills. The government said around 57,000 students participated in practical business activities during the academic session.
Student ventures span multiple sectors
According to the government, students launched ventures in sectors including e-commerce, food services, digital content creation, coding, graphic design, retail, agriculture, handicrafts and personal services.
Among the ventures highlighted were a matcha beverage startup by a Guru Nanak Dev University student that generated around ₹90,000, a digital career guidance platform with over 2.5 lakh users developed by a student of Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University, an online jewellery business, a mushroom cultivation enterprise, a home-based nail art business and an online electronics store.
Bains said the programme is part of Punjab's broader education reforms aimed at integrating entrepreneurship into higher education and enabling students to develop practical business skills while pursuing their degrees.
