LEH: The Union Territory of Ladakh marked its first-ever National Mega Entrepreneurship Day on Sunday with an inspiring showcase of innovation, local enterprise, and youth-driven creativity in Leh. The event, spearheaded by the Department of Higher Education, UT Ladakh, and implemented by the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII), Gujarat, drew participation from students across the region — from Leh to the remote belts of Changthang and Drass.
Presiding over the ceremony, Lieutenant Governor Kavinder Gupta lauded Ladakh’s young entrepreneurs for their “spirit of innovation and resilience,” describing their efforts as a step toward shaping the region’s self-reliant economic future. Gupta noted that Ladakh joined 21 other states and Union Territories in observing the national celebration, adding that the hill region’s growing enterprise culture reflects “the promise of sustainability and self-employment even in the harshest terrain.”
The event transformed the Leh campus into a vibrant exhibition arena, where students presented a diverse range of skill-based and locally inspired products — from crochet crafts and eco-solar innovations to Drass pickles, mushroom spa products, Kharnak embroideries, bakery delights, and Himalayan apple crisps. The exhibits highlighted the growing emphasis on sustainable entrepreneurship and the potential of youth-led businesses to invigorate local economies.
Dr. Sunil Shukla, Director General of EDII, urged students to “move beyond job seeking and embrace job creation,” emphasizing the need to capitalize on national schemes promoting startups and self-employment. He stressed that entrepreneurship education must intertwine with traditional learning to nurture local skills and cultural heritage.
Addressing participants, Rudra Goud, Administrative Secretary of Industries, outlined various MSME initiatives, including access to credit, export facilitation, and design support for small businesses. Encouraging the youth to “dream beyond limitations,” he voiced optimism that Ladakh could soon emerge as a “unicorn hub” for innovative startups.
Bhanu Prabha, Administrative Secretary of Higher Education, traced the four-month entrepreneurial journey that culminated in the event, noting that over 1,500 students took part in the training program, creating around 100 innovative products. The projects, she said, underscore the administration’s long-term goal of embedding entrepreneurship within the education system.
In his keynote remarks, the Lieutenant Governor commended EDII’s role in empowering women and youth, particularly through training and tourism-linked enterprises. He underscored the importance of eco-friendly practices, digital integration, and e-commerce in ensuring Ladakh’s sustainable progress.
The celebration concluded with a vote of thanks by Amit Kumar, Project Director at EDII, who announced that 150 entrepreneurs were successfully registered on the UDYAM portal. Expressing gratitude to participants, mentors, and officials, Kumar hailed the event as a milestone in Ladakh’s entrepreneurial journey and a prelude to greater youth-led development in the years ahead.
