The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee launched the National Student Startup Policy on the opening day of the second Visitor’s Conference on November 16, 2016 at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The National Student Startup Policy, formulated by AICTE, aims to create 100,000 technology based student start-ups and a million employment opportunities within the next 10 years.

• The policy plans on achieving this by developing an ideal entrepreneurial ecosystem and promoting strong inter-institutional partnerships among technical institutions.
• It emphasizes the much-desired need for an appropriate startup policy to propel the youth of India through and beyond the 21st century.
• Speaking on the occasion, the President said if there are enough jobs in the country, there will be content, refinement and perfection.
• The restlessness and frustration of youth manifests in unrest and upheaval. Let us not allow such a situation to appear on our horizon. We must turn our evolving demographic configuration into strength. For that, adequate job creation is a priority.
• The job creation figures of 1.35 lakh in 2015, which is the lowest in seven years, are not encouraging. With machines fast replacing men, we have to look at a paradigm shift.
• We have to prepare our youth, who are buzzing with innovative ideas, to turn into entrepreneurs. We also have to enable our students-turned innovators- turned entrepreneurs to be able to successfully harness the market.
• Heads of the central institutions, must consider this as their prime responsibility if we have to achieve equitable growth. He was happy to have launched the Student Startup Policy of AICTE.
•  To cater to the progress of our central institutions, their fund requirements must be supplemented by other sources such as endowments and contracts for research projects from industry.