The Global Alliance for Mass Entrepreneurship (GAME) and NITI Aayog have announced a strategic partnership aimed at nurturing vibrant, place-based entrepreneurship ecosystems across India. This collaboration will initially focus on pilot sites in Nagpur, Visakhapatnam, and Uttar Pradesh, with plans to expand to other regions.
The initiative seeks to empower local entrepreneurs by bringing together key stakeholders—including government bodies, corporates, educational institutions, financial organizations, champion entrepreneurs, and community groups—to create tailored solutions that address the unique challenges of each region. By fostering localized support systems, the partnership aims to transform entrepreneurship into a movement that drives economic growth and job creation.
Ishtiyaque Ahmed, Programme Director for the Industry/MSME vertical at NITI Aayog, emphasized the importance of a bottom-up approach, saying, “Our approach is rooted in end-to-end facilitation and collaboration across sectors. There is a need to leverage a bottom-up approach and work closely with local entrepreneurs and champions, understand their needs and support them in addressing their challenges.”
Under this partnership, the pilot sites will implement GAME’s proven methodologies, which include providing access to finance, capacity-building programs, policy advocacy, and community-driven initiatives. The ultimate goal is to create self-sustaining ecosystems that can generate widespread employment opportunities.
Ketul Acharya, President of GAME, shared his vision for the collaboration: “At GAME, we believe that entrepreneurship has the power to transform lives and communities. Our partnership with NITI Aayog is a significant step toward realizing our mission of enabling a movement of millions of people starting and growing businesses, using local inputs to serve local needs as well as other markets. Together, we aim to create thriving local ecosystems that inspire innovation and drive inclusive growth.”
Since its inception in 2018, GAME has been at the forefront of fostering mass entrepreneurship in India. Through research, pilot programs, and policy advocacy, GAME has empowered over 300,000 entrepreneurs by facilitating access to credit, markets, and place-based interventions. The collaboration with NITI Aayog is expected to further strengthen these efforts and pave the way for innovative solutions that address systemic barriers to entrepreneurship.
