Delhi L-G Taranjit Sandhu tells Amritsar youth: be job creators, not job seekers

Delhi Lieutenant-Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu used a Swadeshi Deepawali Mela in Amritsar to push a simple economic message: young Indians should aim to build businesses rather than queue for jobs. "Be job creators, not job seekers," he told the audience at the Dussehra Ground in Ranjit Avenue, where the Swadeshi Manch organised the festival fair.

His pitch redefined what "swadeshi" means in a festive season when shoppers are typically urged to buy local. According to Sandhu, the idea is no longer only about picking Indian-made goods off the shelf, but about "creating, innovating and manufacturing in India". He pointed to MSMEs, local businesses and artisans as the engines that generate employment and strengthen the wider economy.

Sandhu tied the message to the Centre's Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision, stressing that self-reliance does not mean isolation. In his framing, the goal is to build indigenous capabilities strong enough to compete globally. He said India's youth can reshape the economic future by pairing traditional arts, craftsmanship and skills with modern technology.

The numbers he cited were from the startup world. Sandhu noted that India had more than 2.23 lakh DPIIT-recognised startups as of March 2026. DPIIT is the government's industry promotion department, and its recognition is the benchmark for the country's startup count. He argued that the next step is to link traditional artisans and local industries with modern design, digital marketing and fresh business models.

For aspiring founders, his advice was to take calculated risks, learn from failures and turn ideas into sustainable businesses. He also urged young people to go beyond being consumers of technology and become its creators and innovators.

The Amritsar trip had a spiritual and personal side as well. Sandhu began at Gurdwara Baba Deep Singh Shaheedan, Tahla Sahib, where he prayed for the peace and prosperity of Amritsar, Punjab, Delhi and the country. He then visited Guru Gobind Singh Khalsa Senior Secondary School at Sarhali Kalan in Tarn Taran, founded in 1917 by his grandfather Sardar Teja Singh Samundri. There he inaugurated a new gymnasium and urged students to make fitness a lifelong habit alongside academic excellence.

The takeaway for the market-watching crowd is the direction of the conversation. Festive-season swadeshi rhetoric is increasingly about supply, startups and skills, not just spending. Whether that translates into local jobs will depend on how well artisans and small manufacturers can plug into design, digital sales and finance. Read the original report at The Tribune.

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