Embedding entrepreneurship into school and college curriculum could generate 2,800 student-led startups and create 2.8 lakh new jobs across India, according to a new Primus Partners report, Powering the $5 Trillion Dream: The FINESSE Framework Could Generate 2.8 Lakh New Jobs, Driving Grassroots Entrepreneurship for an Aatma Nirbhar Bharat.
Based on insights from over 1,500 stakeholders - including more than 900 students, 239 teachers, 37 principals, and 348 micro-entrepreneurs - the report highlights a strong demand for structured entrepreneurial learning. Notably, 78% of students view entrepreneurship as a promising career path, with over 530 students expressing that it should be taught on par with core subjects like mathematics and science. At the same time, 555 students reported having no formal exposure to entrepreneurship, underscoring the existing gap in education. Educators further emphasized that the ages of 14 to 16 represent the most critical window to introduce entrepreneurial learning effectively.
The FINESSE Framework - Fostering Innovation, Nurturing Entrepreneurship, and Supporting Startup Ecosystems - provides a phased roadmap that takes students from curiosity to startup creation. It blends awareness-building, hands-on projects, mentorship, financial literacy, incubation access, and networks to ensure entrepreneurship education goes beyond theory. Successful pilots like Rajasthan’s iStart Business Innovation Programme (BIP) have already shown how classrooms can become incubators of innovation.