PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
A BBA student from Pithoragarh, Mansi Kapri, has transformed her passion for traditional Aipan art into a successful start-up, becoming an inspiration for youth entrepreneurship in the hills. Her startup has benefited from the Devbhoomi Udyami Yojana (DUY).
Kapri’s entrepreneurial journey began in 2024 when she attended a two-day boot camp for the DUY, a collaboration between the department of Higher Education, Government of Uttarakhand and the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII) in Ahmedabad. The scheme, which has been operational since 2023 in 119 State colleges and five universities, aims to develop college campuses into hubs of innovation and entrepreneurship.
Having been interested in the traditional art of Aipan in Uttarakhand since childhood, Kapri had been creating beautiful Aipan designs, but it remained merely a hobby until then. During the DUY boot camp, she learned how any art, skill, or interest can be commercialised and turned into a source of employment.
She presented her Aipan work as a business idea, outlining her venture using the Business Model Canvas and delivering a compelling presentation to the judges. Given her innovative idea she was selected for the 12-day Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP).
During this training, she gained in-depth knowledge and guided by her mentor, Ruchita Panghuria, she launched her own venture, “Homies Vibes.” Kapri’s efforts received significant recognition when her venture was awarded a seed fund of Rs 75,000 at the Devbhoomi Entrepreneurship Startup Mega Event held in February 2025. Currently, Mansi sells approximately Rs 80,000 worth of Aipan products annually and is steadily expanding her customer base.
Expressing happiness at the success story, chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami stated, “DUY is fostering a culture of entrepreneurship in higher educational institutions. By promoting enterprises based on local resources and traditional knowledge, especially in mountainous regions, we are creating new employment opportunities, which is also helping to reduce the problem of migration.”
