GAME and NITI Aayog join hands to catalyse healthy entrepreneurship ecosystems across India

NITI Aayog GAME and NITI Aayog join hands to catalyse healthy entrepreneurship ecosystems across India The partnership will focus on advancing location- based entrepreneurship interventions starting with pilot sites like Nagpur, Visakhapatnam, Uttar Pradesh Posted On: 02 MAY 2025 12:16PM by PIB Delhi Global Alliance for Mass Entrepreneurship (GAME) and NITI Aayog have announced a strategic partnership aimed at fostering vibrant entrepreneurship ecosystems across multiple states in India. This collaboration will focus on advancing place-based interventions, starting with pilot sites in Nagpur, Visakhapatnam and Uttar Pradesh. The partnership seeks to empower local entrepreneurs bringing together relevant local stakeholders in that particular region’s entrepreneurship ecosystem, including government, corporates, educational institutes, financial institutes, champion entrepreneurs and community organisations. By creating localised solutions tailored to the unique challenges of each region, GAME and NITI Aayog aim to transform entrepreneurship into a movement that drives economic growth and job creation. Ishtiyaque Ahmed, Programme Director - Industry/MSME vertical at NITI Aayog, speaking on the initiative said, "Our approach is rooted in end-to-end facilitation and collaboration across sectors. There is a need to leverage a bottom-up approach and work closely with local entrepreneurs and champions, understand their needs and support them in addressing their challenges." Under this partnership, the pilot sites will implement GAME’s proven methodologies that focus on enabling entrepreneurs to start and scale businesses. These interventions include access to finance, capacity-building programs, policy advocacy and community-driven initiatives. The ultimate goal is to create self-sustaining ecosystems that can generate widespread employment opportunities. Ketul Acharya, President of GAME, while sharing his vision for the collaboration observed, "At GAME, we believe that entrepreneurship has the power to transform lives and communities. Our partnership with NITI Aayog is a significant step toward realising our mission of enabling a movement of millions of people starting and growing businesses, using local inputs to serve local needs as well as other markets. Together, we aim to create thriving local ecosystems that inspire innovation and drive inclusive growth." GAME has been at the forefront of fostering mass entrepreneurship since its inception in 2018. Through research, pilot programs and policy advocacy, GAME has worked tirelessly to unlock the potential of entrepreneurs across India. Its initiatives have empowered women entrepreneurs, strengthened MSME ecosystems and promoted sustainable business models in underserved regions. The collaboration between GAME and NITI Aayog is expected to pave the way for innovativesolutions that address systemic barriers to entrepreneurship. Developing healthy local entrepreneurial ecosystems benefits entrepreneurs with resources such as access to credit, markets, mentors and peer networks. By focusing on local contexts and fostering partnerships at multiple levels, this initiative will nurture a culture of entrepreneurship with local ownership and create lasting impact across India’s economic landscape. About GAME: Global Alliance for Mass Entrepreneurship (GAME) was created as a catalyst for a nationwide movement of mass entrepreneurship. The organisation aims to shift perceptions and nurture entrepreneurship in a multi- faceted and integrated manner. GAME works towards addressing challenges that include access to finance and markets as well as regulation through a collaborative approach across financial, educational and policy systems. Since its inception, GAME has assisted 300,000+ entrepreneurs through various interventions enabling access to credit, access to market and place-based interventions, apart from other initiatives. *** MJPS/SR (Release ID: 2126059)