Sir/Madam,
The recent assessment Youth Entrepreneurship in Bhutan: Building Pathways to Job Creation offers an encouraging yet sobering picture of Bhutan’s entrepreneurial landscape. It is heartening to see a growing interest in entrepreneurship among Bhutanese youth, reflecting ambition, creativity, and a willingness to contribute to the nation’s economic future. However, the report rightly points out a critical weakness: most youth-led ventures struggle to grow beyond the start-up stage.
This gap highlights a long-standing issue in policy and practice. While starting a business is often celebrated, far less attention is given to helping enterprises survive, scale, and compete. Limited access to finance, a lack of structured mentorship, and weak links to markets continue to constrain young entrepreneurs, especially those driven by necessity rather than opportunity. The stark difference in outcomes between these two groups should prompt serious reflection on how support systems are designed.
The intention of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Employment to use these findings in shaping the National Entrepreneurship Strategy is timely and welcome. As the Asian Development Bank emphasizes, the real measure of success lies not in the number of start-ups created, but in the number of sustainable businesses that generate jobs over time.
Bhutan stands at a critical juncture. With a coordinated approach, stronger institutions, and life-cycle-based support, youth entrepreneurship can become a true engine of inclusive and lasting growth.
Sincerely,
Nima Lhendup
