The Bharat YEF (Young Entrepreneurs Fund), a $10 million initiative launched by marketing strategist Harshavardhan Chauhaan, is attempting to shift the conversation around early-stage innovation. Targeting sectors like agrotech, deep tech, and climate-focused technologies, the fund is structured to support ideas still in their earliest phases — those that haven’t yet reached the revenue stage but carry the potential to serve communities and contribute to long-term development.
India’s agricultural and climate-related challenges aren’t new, but the ways in which people are trying to solve them are changing. In a landscape where early ideas often struggle to find footing, especially outside major cities, a new initiative is offering something both timely and rare — patient capital, mentorship, and visibility for innovators focused on impact rather than immediate profit.
Chauhaan explained that the fund is especially attentive to those working in tier 2 and tier 3 cities — individuals who may not have access to venture capital networks but are often closest to the problems they are trying to solve.
A Grant-First Approach Rooted in Accessibility
What sets Bharat YEF apart is its grant-based structure. Instead of offering loans or equity-based investments, the fund provides non-dilutive capital ranging from $10,000 to $250,000. This approach removes a significant burden from new entrepreneurs who often face pressure to deliver fast financial returns in exchange for early support.
In agrotech, where solutions can take time to test, refine, and implement across varied conditions, this patient form of funding makes a difference. Whether it’s an irrigation scheduling tool developed by a student in Punjab or a low-cost soil health sensor being piloted in Madhya Pradesh, such projects benefit from early backing that doesn’t come with strings attached.
The fund values ideas for their potential social relevance and their ability to scale sustainably, not just for how fast they can turn a profit. This model is especially relevant for agriculture, where success is often seasonal, and where many ideas need field-level iteration before they’re commercially viable.
Building Knowledge Bridges Through the Bharat Fellowships
Money alone rarely moves ideas forward. Bharat YEF is also investing in mentorship and knowledge-sharing through the Bharat Fellowships program. This initiative invites students from institutions like the IITs and IIMs to work directly with selected entrepreneurs over a period of three to twelve months.
These fellowships are not designed as top-down mentoring programs but as collaborative relationships. Students bring technical know-how, while grassroots entrepreneurs contribute lived experience and an understanding of the real-world challenges they aim to solve.
For example, a fellow might help digitize a crop rotation model developed by a farming cooperative in Bihar or help design a market linkage tool for tribal farmers in Chhattisgarh. The goal is not just to polish pitches but to help improve the actual implementation and usefulness of the idea.
The use of digital platforms ensures that these collaborations are not bound by geography. Through the YEF digital interface, fellows and entrepreneurs can stay in touch, share updates, and work on iterations without needing to be in the same place.
A Public Platform to Showcase and Support Early Ideas
To widen participation, the Bharat YEF team has launched bharatyef.com, a website where entrepreneurs — called “Bharat Karmyogis” — can submit their ideas. Submissions include brief written descriptions and short video pitches, making the process accessible even for those without formal pitch training.
Once ideas are submitted, they are made publicly visible on the site. A gamified system allows users to show their support for the projects they find most promising. This public endorsement doesn’t involve any money, but it helps bring attention to ideas that might otherwise remain unnoticed.
Chauhaan believes this approach helps break away from the conventional model where a handful of people in boardrooms decide which ideas get funding. Instead, the YEF process values collective feedback and encourages a broader, more democratic way of spotting potential.
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Looking Beyond Short-Term Wins
The long-term vision guiding Bharat YEF is rooted in the idea of “Viksit Bharat 2047,” a phrase referencing the centenary of India’s independence and the national aspiration for development across sectors by that milestone year.
Unlike traditional funds that operate on five- or ten-year cycles seeking profitable exits, Bharat YEF focuses on how supported ideas can contribute to systemic change. This focus is especially relevant in areas like agriculture and climate tech, where changes need to be gradual, resilient, and aligned with larger societal goals.
Chauhaan stresses that the fund isn’t looking to back ventures that simply mimic global models. Instead, he’s interested in solutions that respond to India’s particular realities — whether that’s fragmented landholdings, erratic weather patterns, or the need for low-cost, energy-efficient solutions that work at the village level.
A Network of Support, Not Just Capital
Behind Bharat YEF is not just one person but a growing circle of professionals who are lending their experience to help shape the program. Among the early supporters is Devendra Chawla, CEO of GreenCell Mobility, who brings both perspective and mentorship to the table.
This network is intended to help young entrepreneurs navigate more than just their product development. From thinking through policy interactions to planning community engagement, the mentors involved aim to provide guidance that helps early-stage founders make thoughtful decisions rather than hurried ones.
A Chance for Ideas to Take Root
In many ways, Bharat YEF is trying to fill a quiet but important gap — one where ideas born in rural homes, college labs, or among farming communities can be nurtured without the pressure to immediately commercialize or scale. For India’s agrotech sector, often characterized by isolated pilots that fail to grow due to lack of early support, such a fund could mean new momentum.
It’s still early days for the initiative. The real test will be in how ideas fare after the first round of support and how willing the fund is to stay involved in their longer-term growth. But with its open platform, grant-first approach, and emphasis on mentorship and inclusion, Bharat YEF is at least attempting to change how — and whom — we listen to when it comes to solving some of the country’s most persistent challenges.
