Punjab a hub for talent & innovation with 40 universities, over 1K colleges & 7 lakh students
Punjab Newsline, Chandigarh-
In a bid to cement Punjab's position as a national hub for skilled human capital, Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains laid out a roadmap to catapult the state's education system into the future, aiming to transform Punjab into a powerhouse of talent, innovation and entrepreneurship.
Addressing a packed audience at Progressive Punjab Investor's Summit-2026, on a session "From Knowledge to Capital: Transforming Universities into Talent, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Engines", S. Harjot Singh Bains asserted that the state's education system is undergoing a paradigm shift, moving beyond mere access to relevance. For the last four years, serving as Education Minister has been a mission to redefine the very purpose of learning. He emphasised Punjab's focus on building industries of tomorrow as Punjab is no longer just a land of opportunity. It’s becoming the engine of it.
The Cabinet Minister highlighted the success of the Entrepreneurship Mindset Course (EMC), while informing that since September 2025, over 1 lakh students have built real businesses, generating a collective revenue of Rs 66 crore. He credited this achievement to Punjab becoming the first state in India to introduce EMC, giving students hands-on entrepreneurship experience.
Terming entrepreneurship the future of state, Bains said that entrepreneurship is a compulsory subject in higher education from 2025-26, starting with BBA, BCom, BTech, and BVoc courses. The state is shifting focus to practical skills like business, leadership and problem-solving, while highlighting the success of 'Hunar Siksha School' and Business Blaster programme.
The Education Minister envisioned a "flipped classroom" model, drawing parallels with medical education. "Two hours of theory, rest of the day in the hospital facing real-life emergencies - that's the template," he said, while advocating for engineering and other streams’ students to spend two weeks on campus and the rest in industry, earning while learning. "That is the future we're building," he asserted
Inviting the investors to invest in the best, Bains showcased Punjab's rapid ascent in national rankings, highlighting the state's top spot in PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024. With Punjab's emerging as a premier education hub. The state's also home to a whopping 2nd highest number of foreign students and boasts world-class institutions like IIT Ropar, IISER, Amity, IIM Amritsar and AIIMS Bathinda.
He also cautioned against mindless tech use, questioning if brains are becoming too dependent, we must learn with technology, not be crippled by it.
Administrative Secretary School and Higher Education Sonali Giri emphasised that Punjab values education beyond just access, focusing on relevance and industry readiness, while highlighting initiatives like 'Hunar Sikhia School' and 'Punjab Startup App', aiming to create a collaborative ecosystem connecting students, academia and industry. The state is creating a seamless ecosystem where talent meets opportunity to foster a culture where students can thrive. She pointed out that Punjab has 40 universities, over 1,000 colleges, and a staggering 7 lakh students in higher education, making it a hub for talent and innovation.
The launch of 'Hunar Portal's' first phase, connecting students to industry for on-the-job training and jobs, marked a major milestone. Director Technical Education Mr Moneesh Kumar said the portal bridges the gap, especially for economically disadvantaged students.
Pratham Mittal, Founder of Tetr College of Business and Masters' Union and a judge on Shark Tank India Season 5, who designed the EMC, praised Punjab's bold move, saying that the government's initiative is transformative. Students are building real businesses, selling products, and generating revenue - that's the future.
The discussion also highlighted that this mindset begins early. Ms Naomi Atkins, Founding Principal of Bedford UK School Mohali, noted that skills like resilience and creative problem-solving start in play-based learning. Punjab is right to seed this thinking early.
This was complemented by insights from Vice Chancellor of Plaksha University Prof. Rudra Pratap, who emphasised that universities must now train students for complex problem-solving, not textbook memory. Plaksha's curriculum is a testament to the entrepreneurial approach Punjab is championing.