Navsari, Feb 25 (AHN) A young tribal entrepreneur from Navsari in Gujarat has established a successful bamboo‑product enterprise with support from the Gujarat government’s Student Startup and Innovation Policy (SSIP).​

The venture, which manufactures more than 120 items from bamboo, reflects a growing trend of student‑led innovation in rural parts of the state.​

Yogesh Yadav, who grew up in a village, founded the startup, named 'House of Shitij', after completing training in bamboo work during a third‑year course at the College of Forestry, Navsari Agricultural University.​

With his partners, Om and Preya, he turned his interest in bamboo into a business focused on producing natural, durable, and environmentally sustainable alternatives to plastic and ceramic products.​

“In the third year, there was a course named ELP, in which we worked extensively on bamboo. And through that work, I thought of proceeding further,” Yadav said, explaining the genesis of his enterprise.​

He added that the startup’s products were intended to reduce reliance on plastics and ceramics in households.​

Yadav also said that a key objective of the enterprise was to promote products made by the tribal community through eco‑friendly means.​

The venture received financial backing under the SSIP scheme, a state government initiative designed to encourage student entrepreneurship by offering funding, mentorship and access to incubation resources.​

SSIP 2.0, launched in January 2022 and running until March 2027, seeks to foster a culture of innovation from the school level through higher education by providing grants for proof-of-concept and prototype development, as well as support for intellectual property registration and industry linkages.​

The initiative has been credited with helping students turn ideas into viable enterprises and has supported thousands of student startups and innovations across the state.​

Observers say the rise of entrepreneurs such as Yadav aligns with national goals of self‑reliance and economic development.​

His experience has been cited as an example of how government schemes can enable young innovators to contribute to broader development objectives, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a self-reliant India.​