Kumar Bahukhandi
Youth, Skills and Startups in Focus: Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai chairs the Chhattisgarh Cabinet meeting at Mahanadi Bhawan in Raipur on Wednesday, September 9, 2026. The Cabinet approved a ₹500-crore Startup and NIPUN Mission aimed at expanding employment, skill development, entrepreneurship and innovation opportunities for the State’s youth.-Photo Credit:channel24india.com via CMO
CM Vishnu Deo Sai-led Cabinet puts youth, skills and enterprise at the centre of its development push; government employees get higher age limit for applying to other services and senior posts
Key Factors
- ₹500 crore approved for the Mukhyamantri Startup and NIPUN Mission over five years.
- 33 Entrepreneurship Development Centres — one in every district.
- 100 Emerging Technology Labs and five Industry Excellence Centres planned.
- NIPUN JOB Engine to connect industry requirements with skills and formal employment.
- Chhattisgarh Export Promotion Policy 2026–30 approved to expand domestic and international market access.
- 10 acres in Nava Raipur to be provided free for a National Skill Training Institute estimated at ₹200 crore.
- NSTI capacity proposed at 1,000 long-term and 3,000 short-term trainees annually.
- Upper age limit for eligible government and associated employees seeking other government services/higher posts raised from 38 to 45 years.
- Cabinet clears land arrangement for a new Durg District Court complex.
Raipur: In a significant package combining jobs, entrepreneurship, skills, exports and administrative reforms, the Chhattisgarh Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Wednesday, September 9, 2026 approved a ₹500-crore Startup and NIPUN Mission, a new Export Promotion Policy 2026–30, land for a ₹200-crore National Skill Training Institute in Nava Raipur and a major relaxation in the upper age limit for government and associated employees seeking other government posts.
The decisions signal an attempt to connect Chhattisgarh’s employment strategy with entrepreneurship and emerging technologies rather than depending solely on conventional recruitment.
At the centre of the package is the Mukhyamantri Startup and NIPUN Mission, for which the government has provided ₹500 crore over the next five years.
Under the mission, Entrepreneurship Development Centres will be established in all 33 districts, alongside 100 Emerging Technology Labs and five Industry Excellence Centres.
Cabinet Sets New Development Agenda: Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai presides over the Cabinet meeting at Mahanadi Bhawan in Raipur on Wednesday, September 9, 2026. The meeting cleared a series of major decisions covering startups and employment, the Export Promotion Policy 2026–30, a National Skill Training Institute in Nava Raipur, higher age-limit relaxation for eligible government and associated employees, and land for a new-Photo Credit:channel24india.com via CMO
The proposed NIPUN JOB Engine will seek to align skill development with the actual workforce requirements of industries and facilitate formal employment.
Chief Minister Sai said the larger objective was to create an ecosystem in which young people could move beyond merely searching for employment and begin generating opportunities themselves.
“Our aim is not only to provide better employment opportunities to the youth, but also to enable them to move from being job-seekers to job-creators,” Sai said, outlining the thrust of the mission.
“We want to develop Chhattisgarh as a major centre for startups, innovation and industries based on new technologies,” he added.
New Export Policy to Connect Chhattisgarh With Global Markets
In another major economic decision, the Cabinet approved the Chhattisgarh Export Promotion Policy 2026–30, aimed at developing the State into a prominent export hub.
The policy proposes a stronger export ecosystem and logistics infrastructure, improved market access and trade facilitation for exporters, and greater emphasis on exporting value-added agricultural and industrial products.
E-commerce, trade fairs and exhibitions are also expected to be used to connect entrepreneurs and exporters from Chhattisgarh directly with international markets.
Sai said the government’s economic strategy was increasingly focused on creating opportunities for local youth while improving the State’s competitiveness.
“Investment, skills, innovation and employment must move together. Our priority is to create opportunities that enable the youth of Chhattisgarh to participate confidently in the changing economy,” the Chief Minister said.
₹200-Crore National Skill Training Institute for Nava Raipur
The Cabinet also approved the free allotment of 10 acres of land at Tendua village in Nava Raipur Atal Nagar to the Government of India’s skill development and entrepreneurship authorities for establishing a National Skill Training Institute (NSTI).
The proposed institute, estimated to cost around ₹200 crore, will have modern academic, administrative and hostel infrastructure.
Once operational, it is expected to provide long-term technical and vocational training to 1,000 trainees annually, while another 3,000 trainees every year could undergo short-term programmes designed around contemporary industry requirements.
The institute is expected to expand opportunities for advanced skill training, internships and employment and strengthen Nava Raipur’s position as an emerging centre for technical and skill education.
Upper Age Limit Raised From 38 to 45 Years
In a decision likely to directly benefit a large section of the existing workforce, the Cabinet approved raising the prescribed maximum age limit from 38 years to 45 years for eligible employees applying for other government services and higher posts.
The relaxation will cover permanent and temporary State government employees, employees of corporations, boards and autonomous institutions, contractual personnel and Nagar Sainiks (Home Guards).
The government will issue consolidated standing guidelines to implement the decision.
The reform is intended to provide employees already serving in government or associated institutions greater and more equal opportunities to compete for higher positions and other government services.
New District Court Complex for Durg
The Cabinet also cleared a land arrangement for construction of a new Durg District Court building.
Four hectares near BIT College at Titurdih will be made available for the proposed judicial complex. Since the land is recorded in the name of Bhilai Steel Plant, 5.024 hectares of government land at Pahanda in Patan tehsil will be provided to the plant in exchange.
According to the government, the current value of the two parcels is approximately equal.
The decision clears the way for a modern and better-organised district court complex and is expected to strengthen judicial infrastructure in Durg.
Taken together, Wednesday’s Cabinet decisions reflect a development strategy extending from startups and emerging technologies to conventional skills, exports and institutional infrastructure. The ₹500-crore Startup and NIPUN Mission is particularly significant because its proposed network will extend to every district rather than remain concentrated in Raipur or other major urban centres.
