15 - 08 - 2026

Startup India’s TEJAS Workshop in Dahod Seeks to Turn Local Youth into Job Creators

The Startup India initiative under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) conducted the TEJAS (Transforming Entrepreneurial Journeys Across States and Districts) Workshop in Dahod, Gujarat, bringing together government officials, academics and aspiring entrepreneurs to strengthen the district’s startup ecosystem.

The workshop focused on improving awareness of government-backed entrepreneurship programmes and helping emerging entrepreneurs understand the schemes, regulatory benefits and institutional support available through Startup India.

Representing Startup India, Rishi Dewan and Rohan Sachdeva conducted an in-depth session on the Startup India initiative, providing participants with an overview of key government schemes and regulatory benefits. The session also sought to help aspiring entrepreneurs better navigate the country’s startup ecosystem and make effective use of available government support.

Addressing the gathering, R.D. Barhatt, Joint Commissioner of Industries, Gujarat, highlighted the state government’s efforts to promote entrepreneurship among young people and encourage a shift from conventional employment-seeking towards enterprise creation.

The emphasis on youth-led entrepreneurship comes as Gujarat seeks to deepen its startup ecosystem beyond major urban centres and create opportunities for entrepreneurs across districts.

The workshop also highlighted Dahod’s geographical and industrial advantages. Dr. Mohmadishak Sheikh, Assistant Professor at Government Engineering College, Dahod, pointed to the district’s strategic location bordering Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh as an opportunity for businesses seeking access to multiple markets.

He also highlighted the ₹21,405 crore locomotive plant established in Dahod, suggesting that the large industrial project could become an important catalyst for the development of local startups and supporting businesses.

The presence of a major industrial facility could create opportunities for entrepreneurs across areas such as manufacturing, engineering services, logistics, technology, supply-chain services and other ancillary sectors, potentially enabling startups to build businesses around emerging industrial demand.

The workshop also featured addresses by J.M. Raval, Resident Additional Collector, Dahod; J.S. Parmar, Lead Bank Manager, Dahod; and R.S. Patel, General Manager, District Industries Centre, Dahod, bringing together perspectives from district administration, financial institutions and industrial-development authorities.

The TEJAS initiative reflects Startup India’s broader effort to take entrepreneurship support beyond established startup hubs and strengthen ecosystems at the district level. By connecting entrepreneurs with government programmes, financial institutions, academia and local industry, such initiatives can help emerging founders identify opportunities and develop businesses closer to their home markets.

For Dahod, the combination of strategic geography, a major industrial investment, institutional support and a growing focus on youth entrepreneurship could provide a foundation for a stronger local startup ecosystem.

The workshop ultimately underlined a broader message: India’s startup movement is increasingly moving beyond metropolitan centres, with districts such as Dahod being encouraged to convert local talent, industrial opportunities and government support into new businesses, innovation and employment generation.