Platform brings youth, industry and incubators together to explore entrepreneurship as an emerging livelihood pathway
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 13: Bright Future convened Yuvarambh 2026, its flagship youth dialogue platform, on 16–17 February 2026 at Acres Club, Chembur, Mumbai. Anchored in the theme, “Badi Soch – Building Entrepreneurial Pathways for Youth in a Changing India,” the two-day convening brought together young people to explore how entrepreneurship can become a realistic livelihood pathway for India’s youth.
Young people today face several challenges when it comes to starting their own businesses. While platforms showcasing innovation and investment have grown, many aspiring entrepreneurs still struggle to understand how to move from an idea to the start-up stage. Yuvarambh was created to address this gap as a national youth dialogue-to-action platform that connects grassroots aspirations with the entrepreneurship ecosystem, including incubators, industry, financial institutions, and policymakers, encouraging practical thinking and collaborative problem-solving.
Building on insights from Yuvarambh 2024, which focused on access, mobility, and employability, the 2026 edition revealed a noticeable shift in youth aspirations. Many participants, particularly first-generation learners, expressed growing interest in entrepreneurship and self-created livelihood opportunities. However, conversations also highlighted structural barriers such as limited access to capital, mentorship, professional networks, and early exposure to markets.
Yuvarambh 2026 addressed these challenges by positioning entrepreneurship not merely as an elite start-up journey but as a practical, community-rooted pathway capable of generating sustainable livelihoods. The programme encouraged participants to identify real problems within their communities, explore business ideas, and understand the steps required to move from concept to execution.
Across the two days, participants engaged in interactive workshops on idea discovery, validation, and basic business planning, supported by mentorship circles and peer-learning spaces that encouraged collaboration. Over the two days, 80 youth explored more than 50 community-rooted business ideas, with 12 ideas moving forward for mentorship support through pitch presentations under Bright Future’s entrepreneurship pathway.
A key highlight was the ecosystem panel on youth entrepreneurship, which brought together representatives from incubators, MSMEs, microfinance institutions, corporates, and grassroots enterprises. Panelists emphasised that beyond capital, young entrepreneurs need mentorship, networks, and early market exposure areas where ecosystem partnerships can play a crucial role in enabling sustainable growth.
Selected participants also presented concepts during youth pitch sessions designed as learning and feedback platforms rather than competitive showcases. Engagement zones across the venue highlighted student ventures, documented youth stories, and gathered insights on sector interests and mentorship needs.
Kishor Palve, CEO and Founder of Bright Future India, said, “Yuvarambh 2026 reaffirmed our belief that entrepreneurship can be a powerful and accessible pathway for young people. Badi Soch means meeting youth where they are, recognising their aspirations and constraints while equipping them with skills, confidence, and support to build livelihoods.”
Dr. Arpeeta Bhatia, Program Head at Bright Future, said, “What stood out at Yuvarambh was the clarity and courage with which young people spoke about the problems they want to solve in their communities. Many of them are first-generation learners exploring entrepreneurship for the first time. Moments like these remind us why spaces for youth ideas and guidance matter.”
Yuvarambh 2026 reinforced Bright Future’s long-term commitment to enabling sustained youth action through mentorship, ecosystem partnerships, and entrepreneurship support that continues beyond the event and into communities, helping young people turn ideas into meaningful livelihood opportunities.
About Bright Future
Bright Future is a non-profit organisation working with young people aged 11–25 years to build life skills, career readiness, and livelihood pathways through mentoring, internships, and ecosystem partnerships. With a reach of over 40,000 young people across multiple Indian cities, Bright Future focuses on bridging the gap between education, employment, and sustainable livelihoods.
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