The Business Degree Program in Punjab has enabled more than 20,000 students to launch businesses that have generated collective gains $90 Crores in its first year.
Higher education institutions in Punjab have reported encouraging results from the state’s ‘Business Degree’ programme, with over 20,000 student-led projects collectively achieving nearly $90 crore in revenue during its first year, according to the state government.
Higher and Technical Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains said the programme, which was introduced as a compulsory subject for students pursuing BCom, BBA, BTech, BVoc, and those enrolled in ITIs and technical colleges, covered nearly 95,000 students across Punjab in the 2025-26 academic session. Of these, 25,693 students started businesses, while 20,241 established businesses. $90 Crores in revenue.
“The goal is not just to award degrees, but to nurture young innovators, entrepreneurs and job creators,” Baines said. He added that the initiative aims to qualify students to create job opportunities in addition to pursuing higher education.
The two-credit course has been offered in 20 universities, 494 colleges, 320 IT institutes and 91 polytechnics, covering 925 higher and technical education institutions. The curriculum focuses on practical entrepreneurial skills, including identifying business opportunities, customer discovery, market validation, pricing, digital presence, financial planning and business management. According to the government, nearly 57,000 students participated in practical business activities during the academic session.
Student projects in various sectors
The program has pushed students to launch projects across sectors such as e-commerce, food services, digital content creation, graphic design, fitness, retail, agriculture, crafts and local services.
Examples mentioned by the government include:
- Sourav, a computer engineering student at Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, launched a matcha drink project that produced approx. $90,000 through sales at college events.
- Sharanveer Singh, of Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University, Bathinda, has developed a digital platform for career guidance that has attracted more than 2.5 million users.
- Pankaj, a BCom student at Sant Baba Bhag Singh University, Jalandhar, started an online artificial jewelery business through social media, serving around 150 customers and generating income of approx. $30,000 in revenue.
- Kamaljit Singh, of the government’s IIT, Patiala, has set up a mushroom farming venture that has generated profits of approx. $1.5 lakh.
- Jaganpreet Kaur Ranji of Government ITI (Women), Mohali, launched a home-based nail arts project that has generated approx. $55000.
- Ramandeep Singh, from ITI, Mohali, started an online electronics business with his own website.
Planned expansion from 2026-27
After the programme’s performance in the first year, vice-chancellors of universities across Punjab have recommended expanding the scope of ‘Business Degree’ to include all bachelor’s degree programs starting from the 2026-27 academic session.
Initially limited to BCom, BBA, BTech and BVoc courses, the program is proposed to be expanded to include BA, BSc and other undergraduate courses, enabling more students to receive entrepreneurship training alongside their regular studies.
Bains said the initiative forms part of the state’s Sikhya Kranti program and aims to integrate entrepreneurship into higher education by helping students develop practical business skills while pursuing their academic programmes.
Yamini CS is a senior content producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. It is part of the India News Bureau, where it works on a wide range of stories covering civic issues, developments in cities, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics and international affairs having an impact on India. Its role includes tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and physical sources, and presenting news in a clear and accessible format for a digital-first audience. Much of her work involves handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court rulings, political developments, civil unrest, protests, weather alerts, and unfolding national and international events. With live coverage, you focus on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they develop. Before moving to the wider India News Bureau, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru bureau of Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her anchoring in city reporting and increased her focus on citizen-focused journalism. She began her career as a Reuters correspondent after obtaining a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continues to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading in various genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which helps her maintain balance in the fast-paced newsroom environment.Read more
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