Rotary Club of Pune South organized a Skill and Start-up Expo on 22nd & 23rd April 2023 at Maharshi Karve Stree Shikshan Sanstha campus in Karvenagar, Pune. India is now the world's most populous country with 65% of the population being below 35 years of age. This can become a demographic dividend only if the youth are equipped with necessary skills to create a bright future for themselves and prosperity for the country. Moreover, it is necessary to create a strong Start-up ecosystem so that our youth become job givers rather than just job seekers. Realizing this, our visionary Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has started Skill India and Start-up India programmes. To support this initiative, Rotary can play the role of a catalyst to promote this activity which is so important for the future of our country. RCPS has taken the first step towards this by organizing this event. The Expo had 55 stalls of renowned organizations imparting training in various skills as well as of successful Start-ups. In the amphitheater at the venue, there were talks, panel discussions and presentations on various aspects of Skilling and Start-ups. Renowned personalities like Bharat Dabholkar, Dr. Deepak Bhajekar, Mukesh Malhotra, Praful Talera, Pradeep Lokhande others inspired the students with their speeches. Panel discussions on Incubation, Starting a successful business, Branding etc, involved leading industry experts who guided the students on how to acquire necessary skills, how to start a business and make it successful etc. RCPS partnered with Laghu Udyog Bharati in this exercise. A Business Idea contest was also organized for college students, in which 50 entries were received. Out of these, 5 groups were shortlisted, who got an opportunity to present their ideas to a panel of VC Companies who regularly invest in start-ups. The best three entries were given cash prizes of Rs. 15000, 10000 & 7500. RCPS conducted a promotion campaign through newspapers, hoardings at important locations, auto rickshaw panels, college promotions and social media, which helped in creating a positive public image and also attracted students in large numbers to the expo. Rotary Club of Pune South plans to make this their signature project during the coming 5 years and take it to the next level.