Kumar Bahukhandi
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai addresses young innovators, students and startup entrepreneurs during the Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Conclave 2026 at Indira Gandhi Agricultural University, Raipur, on Tuesday, September 29, 2026. Photo: channel24india.com via CMO
At Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Conclave 2026, Chief Minister highlights ₹500-crore Startup and NIPUN scheme, ₹8.23 lakh crore investment proposals and opportunities in agriculture, biotechnology, AI and emerging sectors
Key Highlights
- CM Vishnu Deo Sai urges young people to use innovation and entrepreneurship to create employment.
- ₹500 crore provision made for the Mukhyamantri Startup and NIPUN Yojana.
- Chhattisgarh has received investment proposals worth about ₹8.23 lakh crore since the new industrial policy came into effect.
- Sai highlights opportunities in agriculture, biotechnology, food processing, AI, data centres, semiconductors and renewable energy.
- Chief Minister visits the newly developed Subhash Chandra Bose Biotechnology Incubation Centre at IGKV.
- Sai says value addition to Chhattisgarh’s agricultural and forest produce can generate new enterprises and local employment.
Chhattisgarh’s young people should aspire not merely to seek jobs but to use their skills, innovation and entrepreneurial ability to create employment opportunities for others, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said on Tuesday.
Interacting directly with students, young innovators and startup entrepreneurs at the three-day Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Conclave 2026 at Krishak Mandapam, Indira Gandhi Agricultural University in Raipur, Sai described the state’s youth as one of its most important assets.
“Today’s youth are not merely waiting for opportunities; they have the ability to create new opportunities through their talent,” Sai said, adding that the government’s responsibility was to provide their ideas with the right platform, technological support, financial assistance and a favourable policy environment. Pasted text
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai inspects facilities at the Subhash Chandra Bose Biotechnology Incubation Centre at Indira Gandhi Agricultural University, Raipur, on Tuesday. Photo: channel24india.com via CMO
The Chief Minister said the government was working to strengthen Chhattisgarh’s startup and innovation ecosystem so that ideas could be transformed into innovation and innovation into viable enterprises.
₹500 Crore Push for Startups and Young Entrepreneurs
Responding to a question on the government’s role in helping young people turn ideas into businesses, Sai said ₹500 crore has been provided for the Mukhyamantri Startup and NIPUN Yojana, aimed at encouraging the state’s young men and women to enter entrepreneurship. Pasted text
He asked young people to study the state’s Industrial Policy 2024 carefully and take advantage of the opportunities available under it. New industrial parks are being developed, while the single-window system is intended to simplify procedures for entrepreneurs and investors. Pasted text
Sai said Chhattisgarh had received investment proposals worth approximately ₹8.23 lakh crore since the new industrial policy came into force. According to him, the investment process was not confined to proposals, with work having begun on several projects. Pasted text
He identified energy, artificial intelligence, data centres, semiconductors, textiles and other emerging industries among areas where investment opportunities are expanding.
Drawing upon his own background in a farming family in Bagiya village, Sai told the gathering that he had personally been associated with farming, ploughing fields and animal husbandry. He said this experience had given him an understanding both of the difficulties of agriculture and the opportunities within it. Pasted text
The Chief Minister particularly emphasised value addition to Chhattisgarh’s agricultural and forest resources. Tamarind, mahua, custard apple and medicinal plants available in forest regions, including Bastar, could support new enterprises through modern processing, attractive packaging, branding and marketing, he said. Such ventures could also generate employment locally and strengthen forest-region economies. Pasted text
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai with officials and members of the university community during his visit to the newly developed Subhash Chandra Bose Biotechnology Incubation Centre in Raipur on Tuesday, September 29, 2026. Photo: channel24india.com via CMO
During the interaction, young participants raised questions ranging from startup funding and collateral requirements for loans to government support, employment generation, opportunities for horticulture students, the social-media and influencer ecosystem, and employment possibilities associated with the proposed Film City. Pasted text
“Do not be afraid of failure; have the courage to experiment,” was the broader message Sai gave the young participants, stressing that a new idea becomes an instrument of change only when combined with hard work, skills and entrepreneurship. Pasted text
Sai also visited the newly developed Subhash Chandra Bose Biotechnology Incubation Centre on the IGKV campus, where he inspected advanced laboratories, scientific equipment and facilities created for startups.
The centre includes biosafety, animal culture, microbial cell and plant tissue culture laboratories, along with incubation space, dry and wet labs, plug-and-play offices, common instrumentation and analytical testing facilities. Pasted text
Describing its potential, Sai said the centre should become more than a laboratory for students, researchers and startups.
“It will become an important platform for the journey from idea to innovation and from innovation to enterprise,” he said, expressing confidence that it would help bridge research and industry and strengthen Chhattisgarh’s agriculture and biotechnology innovation ecosystem. Pasted text
The three-day conclave is showcasing innovations across agriculture and agritech, food processing and value addition, biotechnology, rural entrepreneurship, digital technology, artificial intelligence, deep-tech, renewable energy and the environment. Pasted text
Concluding his message to the state’s youth, Sai said Chhattisgarh’s young generation had no shortage of talent or capability, but needed opportunities and the right platform.
“If the youth move forward, Chhattisgarh will move forward; and if their innovations receive opportunities, the resolve for a developed Chhattisgarh by 2047 will become stronger,” he said. Pasted text
