Nawada/Patna: More than 2,00,000 participants convened at the Start-up and Business Summit 2025 in Nawada, under the banner of the Let’s Inspire Bihar campaign, pledging to transcend caste, gender and ideological barriers to help drive economic renewal through entrepreneurship.
Held at the Government Engineering College in Nawada, the summit brought together aspiring entrepreneurs, students and mentors, all united in their vision for a more self-reliant Bihar. At the heart of the campaign is senior IPS officer Vikas Vaibhav, who founded the movement and addressed the summit as chief guest.
“Our goal is to create an environment where youth can find opportunities in Bihar itself, not just look elsewhere for jobs,” Vaibhav said. He underlined the urgent need to build a robust start-up ecosystem to absorb the state’s vast young population, 90 million of whom are under the age of 30.
With more than 350 start-ups currently being mentored by the initiative, the campaign has laid out ambitious targets: by 2028, each of Bihar’s 38 districts should host at least five start-ups generating over 100 jobs apiece. Three such ventures are already operational.
Beyond Nawada, the campaign has recently conducted entrepreneurship development programmes in Jamui and Bhagalpur. It is also expanding its reach outside Bihar, with forthcoming events planned in Ahmedabad, Patna and Bengaluru. These include the Bihar Business Connect on June 22, the Start-up Summit on August 24 and the third season of the Bihar @ 2047 Vision Conclave in December.
Despite facing economic headwinds—Bihar has the lowest per capita income in India at Rs 5,028 per month—the state has posted a 14.5% growth rate. However, Vaibhav cautioned that this would only lift average incomes to Rs 10,000 monthly in five years and Rs 20,000 in a decade—still far behind national benchmarks.
“No matter how well-intentioned any government is, government jobs alone will not suffice—at best, only about 1% will benefit from them,” he said. Private enterprise, he stressed, must be the primary engine of job creation.
To that end, over 10,000 entrepreneurs have joined the movement so far, with many volunteering their time to mentor emerging ventures. The initiative has also garnered support from the diaspora through Bihar Samvad events in cities including Dubai, Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad.
Vaibhav closed his address with a call for unity and self-determination. “We must rise above divisions and work together for a Bihar where no one needs to leave home for education, employment, or healthcare.”
