Since independence, India’s leaders have always sought to discover and develop systemic initiatives to keep young people in school, and provide them with an academic environment and effective work skills. The motivation is to make them productive and engaging contributors to their immediate communities, and at a macro level, to the larger economy.

In India, to develop success-oriented attitudes of initiative, intelligent risk taking and collaboration, and opportunity recognition, entrepreneurship education is one answer and an important tool to help every child and explore and develop his or her academic, leadership and life skills, according to ANI. The objective is to enable all youth to reach high standards of learning so that they ensure that India joins other countries in key knowledge domains and industries in a leadership role.

As a country, India needs to educate students to be continual learners. If the youth learn more, they perform better, and claim social scientists and other experts.

Evaluation studies of high-school-level curriculums in youth entrepreneurship report that students increase their occupational aspirations, interest in college, reading and leadership behavior after participating in entrepreneurship programs. Most significantly, the experience of a sense of ownership is four times higher for youth entrepreneurship programs than for students not taking such courses. Ownership is a powerful concept and the Indian economy and way of life should be based on it. We should seek to own our homes and our cars. We should strive to “own” our jobs, even if we work for someone else. Indians as a whole value both financial ownership and psychological ownership. They value being in control of resources and lives that are of their own choosing.

An example of this is visible in a remote village in Assam’s Jorhat District. The village of Naobishi has acquired fame in India’s northeast region for nurturing and encouraging young entrepreneurial talent.

In the village, the safety of government jobs is looked down upon, as its dynamic youngsters are determined to start their own ventures.

Take 29-year-old Ankur Saikia. He started a paddy collection and distribution center nine years ago. The collection was initially limited to farmers in the village, but today, Ankur collects paddies from neighboring villages and stores at his private warehouse. He later distributes the paddy in cities and towns like Jorhat, Majuli, Sivasagar and Dibrugarh.

A proud Ankur now wants to set up a small rice mill, with government financial assistance of course. “I earn between 30,000 and 40,000 rupees every month. This helps me look after my family. I am now trying for loans from the government to expand my business. In my opinion, youth should work instead of sitting at home. They should also focus on development of the village so that others can also grow with them,” said Saikia.

His venture provides employment to 11 other people in the village. “I have been working with Ankur for the past eight years. I am now able to feed my family well and educate my children. I earn 7,000 rupees per month and I am very happy,” says Mridula Saikia, an employee. Mahipal Majhi adds: “I get a good salary from Ankur. And with his help, I am able to educate my children.”

Assam’s handloom and textiles sector provides employment to many. Nevidita Das, 21, from Naobaishya village has successfully taken up weaving as a profession to support her education. She earns 5,000 rupees every month and believes that youth should engage themselves in constructive work. “I weave clothes with the help of my family members and other fellow villagers. I sell them to local tailor and earn god money,” said Das.

Many youngsters have taken up handicrafts as a full-time profession.

Pankaj Borah, 25, has been engaged in woodcarving for his livelihood since 2004 after he completed his graduation. Today he earns 10,000 rupees a month.

“I want to buy a machine to expand my work that will help me bring down the cost of my products,” said Borah.

Naobaishya has about 600 people who are primarily engaged in agriculture, but there is no doubt that the village is going through a transformation and young entrepreneurs are showing the way.

India is preparing today’s youth for success and eventual leadership in the new global marketplace of the 21st century, and providing education without discrimination is its most important responsibility.

Entrepreneurship education is an important tool for achieving this objective. Indian corporate philanthropy is also well positioned to play an essential role in encouraging entrepreneurship education and small-business ownership.

Model educational and skills-building programs are trying to fill existent gaps by preparing young people from low-income communities to work with peers from around the country while enhancing their business, academic and life skills.

By investing in entrepreneurship education programs, those funding such initiatives can open an exciting world of possibilities to young Indians, and help them develop new confidence, skills and ambitions along the way.

The government, nongovernmental organizations, public and private enterprises, and economic development leaders must play a leading role. These institutions must continue to authorize, fund and support training and certification for high school educators to teach entrepreneurship.

Entrepreneurship education should be universally available to provide all students with opportunities to explore and fulfill their potential.

The challenges are many and multi-pronged, and therefore require a host of different solutions that better engage young people in their education, while also building stronger connections between communities, businesses and schools.

Youth entrepreneurship education resources and programs have a proven track record of keeping youth in school and providing them with the skills sets, knowledge and tools needed to start their own ventures, thus creating innovative entrepreneurs, managers and employees.

Providing India’s youth with guidance and opportunity at the most critical junctures along their educational journey can have a profound impact.

When it comes to entrepreneurs, Indians of all political stripes agree: We like them, we respect them and we need them to help build the country’s economic prosperity.