Former President of VED Council Vilas Kale on Saturday said that the rapidly growing industrial scenario of Nagpur offers a wide range of business opportunities for the startups. He was addressing the inaugural session of ‘Junior Innopreneurs’ event held on the second day of the Viksit Bharat Start-up Conclave. The conclave was organised by Vidarbha Economic Development (VED) Council in association with LEMON Ideas and RTMNU Incubein Foundation at Gurunanak Bhawan, RTMNU, Ambazari Bypass Road.

 

Rina Sinha, President of VED Council, Deepak Menaria, President of Lemon Ideas, Vilas Kale, Past President and founder VED Council and Vikram Gandhe, winner of Master Chef India 2026 were among the prominent persons present on the occasion. Kale motivated the students to bring out ideas from within their hearts to solve real life problems. He told them to become entrepreneurs and provide employment to others, instead of seeking jobs in their life. Successful startups can generate huge income and create wealth. “Small thoughts emerge as big innovations,” he pointed out. He shared three important factors for success:- believe in yourself; write down the ideas as soon as they click; evaluate ideas to see if they are practical and generate revenue.

 

Kale encouraged the children to work with dedication and passion. Earlier, in her welcome address, Rina Sinha also motivated the students to follow their passion with dedication. “Nagpur is the right place to start a business as it offers huge opportunities,” she added. Deepak Menaria elaborated that the Junior Innopreneurs is a unique contest for young kids. The top finalists have come from all over the country to participate in this event. Also, the Bharat Innovations Olympiad will be launched from this platform. Vikram Gandhe spoke about his life experiences and said that people should never abandon their passion if they want to be successful in life. Everyone should remember that there is no perfect moment to start a business. “People dream a lot but starting a business is the most important thing,” he added. One of the special attractions was the Startup Expo which displayed various innovative and youth-led ideas of more than 20 startups at the venue. The valedictory function was held later in the day. More than 300 students from 11 schools participated in the event.