Punjab has taken a groundbreaking leap in education by becoming the first state in India to make entrepreneurship a core subject for Class 11 students. The subject will debut in the 2025-26 academic year across all 3,840 senior secondary schools, covering more than 2.68 lakh students.

The initiative, announced by School Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains alongside AAP leader Manish Sisodia, is aimed at reshaping education from rote learning to innovation, creativity and real-world problem-solving.

“Our classrooms will transform into incubators of ideas, and teachers will serve as startup coaches,” Bains said, stressing that the move will prepare students to be job creators, not job seekers.

A shift from exams to experience

Unlike conventional subjects, the entrepreneurship curriculum will be experiential and project-driven. Students will work in teams to brainstorm business ideas, build prototypes, pitch for seed funding and even launch their own products or services.

Instead of exams, assessments will focus on self-evaluation, peer review and mentor feedback, ensuring a supportive environment for risk-taking and innovation. Each year, 18 periods will be dedicated to the subject — three for theory and fifteen for hands-on project work.

Economic ripple effect

Officials estimate the programme’s potential impact to be far-reaching. Even if just 10% of the participating students succeed in their ventures, it could generate ₹300–400 crore in annual student-led economic activity.

“This initiative is not only about education but about grassroots economic growth, community engagement and self-reliance,” Bains said.

Building on past success

The move builds on the success of the Punjab Business Blasters Programme, launched in 2022, which expanded from 32 schools to 1,927 schools, engaging nearly 1.8 lakh students. By embedding entrepreneurship as a formal subject, the government aims to institutionalize innovation in education and equip youth with resilience, leadership and decision-making skills.

Education experts hail the initiative as a milestone in reimagining secondary education, one that could set a template for other states to follow.