BYST, Yardi Launch Entrepreneurship Programme for Youth in Maharashtra

Mumbai, May 20, 2026: Bharatiya Yuva Shakti Trust has partnered with Yardi Software India Pvt. Ltd. to launch the Young Grampreneur® Development Programme in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra, aimed at supporting young microentrepreneurs through training, mentoring and access to finance.

The programme seeks to strengthen the district’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by identifying, training and mentoring aspiring entrepreneurs, particularly among women, SC/ST communities and underserved youth.

According to the organisations, the initiative will support 100 young entrepreneurs through mentoring and bank-linked financial assistance while training 150 institutional mentors under BYST’s Mentoring India® initiative. The programme is expected to reach 6,400 youth through awareness campaigns, provide one-on-one counselling to 1,900 youth and offer certified STEP entrepreneurship training to 800 participants.

The initiative also aims to facilitate an estimated ₹5 crore in loan disbursement through partner banks and generate around 1,500 direct and indirect jobs.

BYST said the programme builds on its nine-year presence in the region, during which it has supported over 1,000 entrepreneurs and trained more than 25,000 youth.

Lakshmi Venkataraman Venkatesan, Founding and Managing Trustee, Bharatiya Yuva Shakti Trust said, “Microentrepreneurship plays a central role in India’s economy, especially in smaller towns and rural areas. Manufacturing, service, and retail enterprises are critical because they create local jobs, meet everyday needs, and keep money circulating within the community. By giving young people structured support to enter these three sectors, the programme helps them move from informal work or unemployment into stable, small businesses that can grow in a realistic and steady way.”

Bharati Kotwal, CSR head, Yardi Software India Pvt. Ltd said, “Our partnership with BYST supports youth who have ideas but need guidance, networks, and access to capital. By investing in mentoring-led entrepreneurship in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, we hope to help young entrepreneurs build enterprises that are viable, digitally aware, and better connected to local and regional markets.”

The programme will also involve collaborations with local universities, colleges, incubation centres, banks and industry associations to support youth mobilisation, business idea development and credit access.