Date: 13th September 2025
Venue: NDMC Convention Center, Sansad Marg, New Delhi
Theme: Ek Bharat, Udyami Bharat
The 4th Bharat Entrepreneurship Summit (BES) 2025, organized by the Entrepreneurs Association of India (EAI), stood as a powerful testament to India’s growing entrepreneurial movement, from local innovators to global leaders. Entrepreneurs from every district of the nation came together under one roof to collaborate, network, and shape the next phase of India’s growth story.
With over 5,000 nominations this year, BES 2025 showcased the nationwide passion for entrepreneurship. Through its strong network connecting government ministries, universities, incubation centres, and industry bodies, EAI ensured equal opportunities for innovators across India, from rural changemakers to urban trailblazers. Like previous year, the summit was held in partnership with the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY), Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), and Startup India under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Govt. of India. Other key partners included AIC-BIMTECH, BIET Jhansi, CSIR-IIIM, ICAR-IARI, NIT Rourkela, TBIF-IIT Ropar, UPES, and several other premier institutions.
Inaugural Ceremony
The summit began with the National Anthem followed by the ceremonial lighting of the lamp by an esteemed lineup of dignitaries. The inaugural ceremony was graced by Shri Sardar Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Hon’ble Minister of Industries, Food & Supplies, and Environment, NCT of Delhi (Chief Guest); Shri Pratap Somvanshi, Managing Editor, Hindustan; Shri Manoj Kumar Singh, Ex-Chief Secretary, Uttar Pradesh; Shri Amitabh Verma, Former Banking Secretary, Govt. of India; Shri Parmesh Shah, Global Lead, World Bank; Shri Vikas Preetam Sinha, Advocate, Supreme Court of India; and Shri Abhishek Kumar, President, Entrepreneurs Association of India.
The Guests of Honour included Dr. Sasmit Patra (Member of Parliament), Dr. Rashmi Singh (IAS, Secretary, Women and Child Development, Govt. of Delhi), Shri Saurav Shah (IPS, Executive Director, Power Finance Corporation, Govt. of India), Shri Prashant Kumar Jha (IRS, ADG, Central Economic Investigation Board), Shri Rohit Gupta (IRTS, National Cooperative Development Corporation), Smt. Pranita Upadhyaya (Head, Innovation for South Asia, ITU, United Nations), Shri Rajesh Singh (Ex-Senior Consultant, World Bank), and Dr. Kamaljit Anand (Chief Data Scientist, KiE Square Consulting, Fellow-IIM-A).
The summit also witnessed the launch of the BES 2025 Diary by Chief Guest Shri Sardar Manjinder Singh Sirsa, joined by Shri Amitabh Verma, Shri Arun Kumar Sharma, Shri Manoj Kumar Singh, Shri Vikas Preetam Sinha, and Shri Abhishek Kumar, President of EAI.
Presidential Address: Shri Abhishek Kumar, President, EAI
In his welcome address, Shri Abhishek Kumar extended heartfelt gratitude to all dignitaries and participants. Reflecting on his journey, he shared the vision behind the Entrepreneurs Association of India (EAI) and its evolution into one of the most inclusive entrepreneurial networks in the country. He emphasized that India has firmly positioned itself as a global startup hub, but the next step must be scaling innovation, impact, and inclusivity to reach every corner of the nation.
Chief Guest Address: Shri Sardar Manjinder Singh Sirsa
Shri Sirsa lauded EAI’s continuous efforts in identifying and nurturing talent from the remotest corners of India. He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiatives such as Startup India and Skill India for driving self-employment, job creation, and innovation-led growth. He noted that platforms like BES are instrumental in bringing hidden talent to the forefront and accelerating India’s journey toward Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
Keynote Highlights
Shri Parmesh Shah, Global Lead for Rural Livelihoods and Agricultural Jobs at the World Bank, spoke about India’s entrepreneurial transition and the rise of women micro-entrepreneurs, who now constitute 38% of MSMEs. He called for block-level incubation facilities supported by AI and digital infrastructure to ensure equitable growth and inclusivity.
Shri Manoj Kumar Singh, Ex-Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh, emphasized that entrepreneurship is about identifying problems and creating value. Stressing the importance of ease and speed of doing business, he urged India to focus on strategic sectors like semiconductors and export-oriented agriculture.
Shri Amitabh Verma, Former Banking Secretary, underscored the importance of credible venture capital and advised startups to prioritize trust-building before scaling. He commended the innovation emerging from tier-2 and tier-3 cities, and encouraged entrepreneurs to focus on healthtech, digital transformation, and sustainability.
Shri Vikas Preetam Sinha, Advocate at the Supreme Court of India, traced India’s shift from a job-seeking to a job-creating economy post-2014. He credited landmark reforms like Startup India, Skill India, and GST for this transformation, noting that India now proudly hosts over 1.5 lakh startups, marking its rise as the world’s fourth-largest economy.
Shri Arun Kumar Sharma, Ex-DGP of Gujarat and Independent Director at YES Bank, spoke about the challenges entrepreneurs face in finance, mentorship, and market access. He emphasized that summits like BES bridge these gaps and empower innovators to scale sustainably.
Business Session I: Pillars of Entrepreneurial Ecosystem
The first business session, themed Learning from Around the World, explored global innovation models like Silicon Valley and Singapore to strengthen India’s entrepreneurial foundation.
Dr. Rashmi Singh, Secretary, Women & Child Development, Govt. of Delhi, highlighted the importance of nurturing women-led enterprises, citing success stories from the food, wellness, and waste management sectors. Dr. Kamaljit Anand, Chief Data Scientist at KiE Square Consulting, discussed the rise of social purpose-driven entrepreneurship, sharing the inspiring story of a ₹1,600 crore solar enterprise from Bihar. Dr. Sasmit Patra, Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha), cited examples from Odisha, Gujarat, Kerala, and Rajasthan to illustrate how regional ecosystems foster youth-led innovation. Shri Saurav Shah, Executive Director, Power Finance Corporation, spoke about India’s evolution from a socialist structure to a dynamic innovation-driven economy, while CA Shashi Mohan, from the Board of Mentors at EAI, highlighted the Entrepreneurship Bharat Yatra, an EAI initiative connecting rural innovators to national platforms.
Business Session II: Building Bharat through Emerging Technology and Innovation
The second session, themed Empowering India through Tech-Driven Growth, explored how emerging technologies like AI, blockchain, green energy, and health-tech can redefine India’s economic trajectory.
Shri Prashant Kumar Jha, ADG, Central Economic Intelligence Board, emphasized the importance of identifying market gaps and demand alignment in sustainable entrepreneurship. Shri Rohit Gupta, Deputy MD, National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), discussed cooperative-led innovation, citing the success of Sahakar Taxi Cooperative, a driver-owned, profit-sharing model. Shri Shashank Kumar, CEO of DeHaat, shared the company’s growth journey and highlighted the importance of technology investment and first-mover advantage to achieve India’s $10 trillion economy goal. Smt. Pranita Upadhyaya, Head of Innovation Centre for South Asia at the ITU (United Nations), emphasized the role of the ITU Innovation Centre, Delhi, in empowering women and differently-abled entrepreneurs. Shri Rajesh Singh, Ex-World Bank Consultant, concluded by stressing the need for customer-centric innovation and sustainable distribution networks.
Awards & Recognition Ceremony
The Bharat Entrepreneurship Summit Awards recognized India’s most impactful entrepreneurs and institutions, celebrating achievements across diverse sectors. The honors included 51 Bharat Entrepreneur Awards, 8 Bharat Incubator Awards, 4 National Entrepreneur Awards, and 2 Bharat Social Changemaker Awards. From grassroots innovators to high-growth ventures, 65 entrepreneurs were felicitated for their outstanding contributions to India’s economic and social development. Each awardee will also receive year-long mentorship and business support from EAI, including access to funding networks, market linkages, strategy sessions, and international collaboration opportunities.
Startup Showcase
As part of the summit, a select group of innovative startups from diverse sectors such as agriculture, fintech, health-tech, textiles, and cybersecurity showcased their pioneering products and services before industry leaders, investors, and policymakers. This initiative reflected the remarkable depth of entrepreneurial talent emerging from India’s Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, underscoring EAI’s vision of inclusive growth.
Conclusion
The 4th Bharat Entrepreneurship Summit 2025 truly embodied its theme: Ek Bharat, Udyami Bharat, as a celebration of India’s unity through innovation. With participation from thought leaders across government, industry, and international organizations, BES 2025 reinforced EAI’s mission to build a collaborative, inclusive, and future-ready entrepreneurial ecosystem.
As the Entrepreneurs Association of India continues its mission to empower entrepreneurs at every level, from gaon to global, the summit stands as a resounding symbol of India’s unstoppable journey toward becoming a Viksit Bharat by 2047.