Stepping Into 2026 With Stronger Foundations for India’s Nano-Entrepreneurs

We recently achieved a milestone. More than 5,00,000 people have engaged with our mission. The number matters not because it is big, but because behind all those 5,00,000 people is a nano-entrepreneur choosing to build — often with limited resources — and in the process, creating work for others. Each interaction represents trust, relevance, and a shared belief that entrepreneurship, when supported well, can shape India’s future.  

Why Nano Entrepreneurship Matters

India’s jobs challenge cannot be solved by large corporations alone. Even MSMEs, despite their scale and contribution, cannot meet the country’s employment needs unless the smallest businesses are enabled to grow.

Here’s why supporting nano-entrepreneurs is critical for job creation at scale:

• Scale of Impact: Nearly 98% of Indian businesses operate within the MSME ecosystem, contributing to almost 70% of the country’s employment. Within this vast universe, over 90% are nano-entrepreneurs — small businesses with annual turnover below ₹1 crore, lean teams of fewer than ten people, and a clear ambition to grow beyond ₹10 lakhs in revenue.
• Job Creation Multiplier: Nano-entrepreneurs sit at the centre of India’s employment opportunities. When they move beyond survival and start to scale, they create structured jobs. One growing business can mean two, five, or even ten new livelihoods. Multiply that across thousands of enterprises, and job creation begins to happen at scale.
• Local Economic Power: These enterprises may be modest in size, but they quietly power livelihoods, neighbourhood economies, and job creation across the country. They are the backbone of inclusive growth.

At deAsra, this belief shapes everything we do: if India wants jobs at scale, job creators must be supported at scale.

How deAsra’s initiative ‘dreamBIG’ Supports Nano Entrepreneurs

It begins with the SEED — nurturing the right mindset early. Through the INSPIRE initiative, we work directly with college students to cultivate entrepreneurial mindsets and prepare the next generation of job creators from the ground up. When young people and first-time founders are exposed to entrepreneurial thinking, financial discipline, and customer-centricity, they begin to see business creation as achievable, not intimidating.  

Growth then depends on the SOIL — the practical conditions that allow businesses to take root and expand. Access to markets, clarity on legal and compliance matters, and tools, guides, programs, and templates covering topics like sales, artificial intelligence, social media, branding, team management, and more support nano-entrepreneurs to move from the survival stage to the growth stage. 

Finally, entrepreneurs need a strong SURROUND — an ecosystem that provides continuous support.  INSIGHTs, deAsra’s research initiative, creates a favourable ecosystem through research and policy advocacy.  A tool like the INSIGHTs Dashboard provides data-driven insights on economic trends and regional patterns, ensuring that policies are informed by what entrepreneurs actually experience on the ground. Yashaswi Udyojak, voice of deAsra, brings stories from industry leaders and successful entrepreneurs, helping entrepreneurs learn from relatable journeys and find the right support. 

Engaging with more than 5,00,000 people is not a finish line. It is a reminder of responsibility. The journey to enable stronger businesses and create meaningful jobs at scale is far from complete. Starting in 2026, our focus remains clear: stronger foundations, clearer decisions, and an ecosystem designed for growth. The path towards enabling a million job creators has begun, and every nano-entrepreneur moving forward brings India closer to solving its employment challenge.