Maharashtra government to build a world-class hub to attract startups

The Government of Maharashtra is planning to set up a world-class startup in the state similar to the T- Hub situated in Hyderabad, Telangana. Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis has directed Information Technology (IT) secretary SVR Srinivas and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship secretary Aseem Gupta to formulate a team of experts comprising representatives from NASSCOM and other similar institutions to inspect the idea.

The instructions were given out in a meeting convened by Governor C.Vidyasagar Rao at Raj Bhavan on Wednesday. The meeting was attended by the Chief Minister, Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, and Harish Mehta, founder NASSCOM. Dr BVR Mohan Reddy, executive chairman of Cyient Ltd, Jay Krishnan and Srinivas Kollipara, promoters of T-Hub Hyderabad along with senior government officials were also present at the meeting.

The Maharashtra State Innovation Society (MSIS) now plans to organise Maharashtra Startup Week, 2018 from June 25-29, creating a platform for startups to showcase their innovative products. The basic idea is to endorse innovative startups in the state by encouraging and assisting the entrepreneurial ecosystem. The MSIS has been working under the state skill development department in order to boost performance and efficiency in the sector.

Sambhaji Nilangekar Patil, state skill development and entrepreneurship minister told Hindustan Times,

Startups from sectors such as education, healthcare, agriculture, clean energy, environment, water management, smart infrastructure, mobility, governance, financial inclusion and cyber security are invited to submit their applications for the week.”

The top 100 ventures will get a chance to present their solutions in front of a panel of judges consisting of representatives from state government, industry and academia. Top three from each of the 24 sectors will receive work orders of up to ₹15 lakh from MSIS. After which, they will be provided support from state and mentor several institutes by assisting solutions to finish the project in the span of a year.