Chandigarh, Jul 4 (PTI) The Punjab government will host a 'business blasters expo' at IIT Ropar, where students of classes 11 and 12 from government schools will showcase their innovative ventures, Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains said on Friday.

He said the expo will enable funding, incubation and industry partnerships for scalable student ventures, besides inspiring stakeholders to support school-based entrepreneurship.

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Around 40 teams will showcase their products at the expo on Saturday. Teams of classes 11 and 12 students of government schools developed 18,492 business ideas, he said in a statement.

The state government provided Rs 16,000 seed funding each to over 7,000 teams to develop and launch their business ideas under the guidance of teachers and expert mentors.

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The main objective of the expo is to identify market opportunities for the students and engage them with real customers to earn revenue and profit, he further said.

This initiative empowered students with practical, team-based learning, fostering essential skills in communication, problem-solving and financial management through real-world business experiences, he added.

Many ventures developed by the students are already generating revenue and expanding operations, Bains said.

Meanwhile, he also introduced four teams while showing their innovative products. A team of Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Roopnagar made the product "Creative Girls" -- a resin-based coasters, keychains and candle moulds. The team has already sold over 250 units.

Similarly, the Government Senior Secondary School, Pathankot team made an "e-Motion Bike"'? a rechargeable electric bicycle. The energy efficient bike designed for urban last-mile mobility.

Government Senior Secondary School, Bathinda team made "Herbal Shine": Chemical-free herbal shampoo using traditional ingredients. The team has already sold 80 units and received positive customer feedback.

Government Senior Secondary School, Ferozepur team created "Defend-X Stick" Self-defence stick with LED, shock points and concealed blade.

The product is devised targeting women, senior citizens, etc as their potential buyers.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)