BYST and APMSMEDC Launch Andhra MSME Mentoring Programme

VIJAYAWADA :  In a major boost to the micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) landscape in Andhra Pradesh, the Bharatiya Yuva Shakti Trust (BYST) has partnered with the Andhra Pradesh MSME Development Corporation (APMSMEDC). The organizations exchanged a Letter of Intent (LoI) to officially launch the Entrepreneurship Training & Mentoring Programme (ETMP) across the state.

The ceremonial exchange took place on the sidelines of the high-profile ‘One Family-One Entrepreneur MSME Growth Summit 2026’ at the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Kala Vedika in Vijayawada. The LoI was presented by the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Shri Nara Chandrababu Naidu, in the presence of senior government officials, industry veterans, and key economic stakeholders.

Empowering 10,000 Nano and Micro Enterprises:
The core objective of the ETMP is to drive inclusive, entrepreneurship-led economic growth by targeting rural, semi-urban, and underserved communities with a special focus on empowering youth and women entrepreneurs.

The ambitious project outlines clear, measurable milestones for the state’s economic ecosystem:

Enterprise Support: Aims to directly train, digitally enable, and handhold up to 10,000 nano and micro entrepreneurs to build sustainable businesses.

Mentor Network: Focuses on developing a robust network of 4,000 trained business mentors to offer long-term, structured guidance to early-stage business owners.

Grassroots Outreach: Roll out localized digital learning initiatives, financial literacy modules, and district-level entrepreneurship orientation programs.

BYST will contribute its three decades of specialized experience in rural enterprise incubation, while APMSMEDC will anchor the initiative by facilitating inter-departmental government coordination, resource convergence, and local mobilization support.

Mentorship as the Cornerstone of Success:
This initiative builds seamlessly on a foundational Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between BYST and APMSMEDC in March 2026, advancing the state’s progressive ‘One Family-One Entrepreneur’ socio-economic vision.

“At BYST, we believe mentoring is the cornerstone of entrepreneurial success,” said Lakshmi Venkataraman Venkatesan, Founding and Managing Trustee of BYST. “Over the past three decades, we have seen how the right guidance at the right stage can transform a small idea into a thriving enterprise. By combining structured training, mentoring, market access, and institutional support, we aim to empower young entrepreneurs, especially women and underserved communities, with the confidence and networks they need to create jobs and strengthen local economies.”

Beyond initial training, the partnership is designed to establish vital market linkages, open up industry networking platforms, and introduce sustainable business practices to help grassroots micro-businesses scale into competitive enterprises.