about game

Our Vision

A thriving environment for Mass Entrepreneurship (ME) in India, resulting in large-scale job creation.

Our Mission

Through learning and advocacy, we will galvanize the ecosystem for youth-led mass entrepreneurship at the local level, helping create 10M entrepreneurs, 50% women, who create 50M jobs by 2030.

ME is the ‘missing middle’ between compulsive self-employment and fast-growing startups. It is the bedrock of stable economies as it meets the needs of communities, while providing employment at the local level. ME is at a nascent stage in India and needs a national-level organization that brings all the actors together. GAME aims to be that enabling platform that establishes a common understanding of what works and catalyzes change in the ecosystem to speed up the time to maturity. At GAME we believe that the youth, especially those between 14 and 29, and women will help deepen the roots of ME in India.

The 'Missing Middle'

Self-Employed

Government schemes, MFIs, and livelihood programs have helped create 75 million individual entrepreneurs (set to double in 20 years)
Experts regard the majority of these entrepreneurs to be underemployed, effectively forming the ‘hidden unemployed’

Mass Entrepreneurs

who hire or improve the incomes of 5 plus people, use local inputs or solve local problems

11% ME in India compared to a global average of 30–40%

Fast Growth Start-Ups

40%

increase in the number of active incubators and accelerators in 2016 with impetus from government and corporates

30

new academic incubators established under ‘Start-up India Stand-up India’ initiative in 2016

350

start-ups founded by young students in 2016

650

total number of start-ups funded in 2016 by dedicated institutions

$40 billion

flow of funding to start-ups in 2016

our approach

We believe

The answer to jobs lie in catalyzing more job creators at the local level

Youth agency is transformative

Women’s economic empowerment is a multiplicative force

Policies that reduce risks and transaction costs are vital for entrepreneurship

Open learning, open IP, and technology are core to success

Working with and through partners is how we will move the needle

An agile approach is imperative to quickly test ideas on the ground

Our focus is on five pillars that represents the majority of opportunity

Nurturing entrepreneurial mindsets and skills early

Rationale

Early exposure to entrepreneurship and traits is critical to creating the right mindset

Helping single and micro entrepreneurs grow

Rationale

Currently, a majority of these entrepreneurs are in the informal sector, they need the right mindset and tools/support to grow

Making entrepreneurship aspirational

Rationale

Entrepreneurship is not aspirational in india and often people aspire for govt jobs that are in short supply

Converting job-seekers to entrepreneurs

Rationale

Potential entrepreneurs need the support systems and skills to find market opportunities and start their own business

Enabling women to start and succeed as MEs.

Rationale

The challenge is particularly magnified for women who require a focused, gender-responsive approach across all areas.

Our focus is on five pillars that represents the majority of opportunity

Making entrepreneurship aspirational

Rationale

Entrepreneurship is not aspirational in india and often people aspire for govt jobs that are in short supply

Nurturing entrepreneurial mindsets and skills early

Rationale

Early exposure to entrepreneurship and traits is critical to creating the right mindset

Converting job-seekers to entrepreneurs

Rationale

Potential entrepreneurs need the support systems and skills to find market opportunities and start their own business

Helping single and micro entrepreneurs grow

Rationale

Currently, a majority of these entrepreneurs are in the informal sector, they need the right mindset and tools/support to grow

Enabling women to start and succeed as MEs.

Rationale

The challenge is particularly magnified for women who require a focused, gender-responsive approach across all areas.

Why Mass Entrepreneurship (ME)

Formal sector jobs are falling

The traditional foundation for India’s middle class — government and other formal sector jobs — is showing a sharp decline in its contribution to the employment figures.

01/04

Fast-growing startups have minimal impact

The growth rate and high market evaluations of startups are not proportionate to the number of jobs they are adding to the market.

02/04

Self-employment is not a choice but a compulsion

A fiercely competitive job market is pushing a growing number of people to set up small businesses. These necessity-driven establishments are usually single-person setups with very little scope to scale up.

03/04