NITI Aayog Collab With Former Microsoft India Chairman Founded GAME to Boost Local Entrepreneurship

Global Alliance for Mass Entrepreneurship (GAME) and NITI Aayog have officially joined forces to strengthen entrepreneurship ecosystems across India, reported news agency IANS. Their collaboration, announced on May 2, 2025, will kick off with pilot projects in Nagpur, Visakhapatnam, and select locations in Uttar Pradesh.

With a mission to create 50 million new jobs by 2030, the Global Alliance for Mass Entrepreneurship (GAME) was founded by Ravi Venkatesan, Madan Padaki, and Mekin Maheshwari, in 2018.

While Ravi Venkatesan is a former Chairman of Microsoft India, Madan Padaki is a seasoned entrepreneur, he co-founded MeritTrac, one of India’s largest skills assessment companies. And, Mekin Maheshwari was previously Chief People Officer at Flipkart, he has been instrumental in shaping India's startup culture. He also founded Udhyam Learning Foundation, which focuses on entrepreneurial education.

The initiative with NITI Aayog aims to empower local entrepreneurs by bringing together key stakeholders—government bodies, corporations, educational institutions, financial organizations, and community groups. GAME will implement proven methodologies such as access to finance, capacity-building programs, and policy advocacy to create self-sustaining business ecosystems.

The Global Alliance for Mass Entrepreneurship (GAME) has launched pilot projects in Nagpur, Visakhapatnam, and Uttar Pradesh in collaboration with NITI Aayog. These initiatives aim to create self-sustaining entrepreneurial ecosystems by bringing together government bodies, corporates, educational institutions, financial organizations, and community leaders.

Key Focus Areas:

• Access to Finance: Helping entrepreneurs secure funding to start and scale businesses.
• Capacity Building: Providing training and mentorship to strengthen business skills.
• Policy Advocacy: Addressing systemic barriers to entrepreneurship.
• Community-Driven Initiatives: Encouraging local collaboration to foster innovation.

GAME has already impacted over 300,000 entrepreneurs, and this partnership is expected to accelerate opportunities for aspiring business owners.

Ketul Acharya, President of GAME, emphasized the transformative power of entrepreneurship, stating that this partnership will inspire innovation and drive inclusive growth. With GAME already impacting over 300,000 entrepreneurs, this collaboration is expected to accelerate opportunities for aspiring business owners.