CHANDIGARH, 24.09.25-Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India, in association with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Young Indians (Yi) Chandigarh Chapter, successfully organized the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue (VBYLD) – Young Professionals Roundtable at DAV College, Sector 10, Chandigarh.

The roundtable, attended by over 200 young professionals, volunteers, industry leaders and investors, deliberated on the theme “How to make India the Startup Capital of the World.”

Shri Vinay Kumar, District Youth Officer, MY Bharat Chandigarh, set the context with an overview of the Ministry’s flagship initiative MY Bharat Platform, a one-stop digital ecosystem for experiential learning, volunteering and mentorship. He emphasized that the Ministry’s vision is to harness youth potential as drivers of Viksit Bharat 2047, encouraging innovation and nation-building.

Highlights of the Discussion
A distinguished panel of experts shared insights:
➢ Mr. Vineet Khurana (CEO, SAAC; Seed Investor) stressed on the importance of ethics, persistence and customer focus for startups to thrive.
➢ Ms. Harnoor Kaur (Co-Founder, EVage Ventures) highlighted the need for inclusive government reforms and stronger infrastructure support to nurture first-generation founders.
➢ Mr. Munish Jauhar (Founder & CEO, GrayCell Technologies) underlined India’s self-sustaining market and urged startups to solve high-impact, complex problems.
➢ Mr. Vijender Singh (Chair, Yi Chandigarh) emphasized customer-centric solutions over investor-centric pitches.
Key Takeaways
➢ Youth are the changemakers in driving entrepreneurship and employment.
➢ Focus should shift from raising funds to building value for customers.
➢ Ethical practices, creativity, and persistence are essential for building sustainable businesses.
➢ Infrastructure and connectivity improvements, such as high-speed transport links, will further accelerate India’s startup growth.
This was the 13th Roundtable under the VBYLD series, which has so far engaged young minds across 12 cities in India and beyond, including international dialogues with BIMSTEC and Central Asian nations.
The event concluded with a call to action for youth to register on the MY Bharat portal (www.mybharat.gov.in) and actively contribute to India’s vision of becoming a global startup hub by 2047.