India's economy has undergone rapid economic expansion in recent years. However, this positive economic movement has not translated into increased employment opportunities for the country's youth population. Identifying new or under-explored markets within which to provide goods and services, will foster expanded income generation and reverse the increasing unemployment trends.

Bharatiya Yuva Shakti Trust (BYST) is a successful youth entrepreneurship initiative that turns job seekers into job creators. BYST partners with the Indian corporate sector to provide unemployed youth with training, collateral-free financing, structured mentoring, and networking opportunities that fosters entrepreneurial development and sustains thriving businesses.

BYST has an impressive track record, more than 1,200 youth enterprises have been created since its inception, generating more than 11,700 new jobs.


The International Finance Corporation’s (IFC) Grassroots Business Initiative (GBI) is providing BYST with grant funding and technical assistance to reinforce its activities and develop a self-sustainable model that can be replicated in other developing countries.

A significant part of GBI’s assistance goes towards the development of the Mentor Development Program (MDP) that will establish a mentor accreditation process expected to impact 90,000 youth enterprises across India, by expanding BYST's mentor network to 30,000 over the next five years.

GBI is also assisting with setting up a social venture capital growth fund that will target the most successful BYST graduates who still cannot access commercial financing.

For more information visit: www.bystonline.org