Mumbai, Sep 30 (IANS) Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said that Maharashtra is India’s undeniable startup capital, both in sheer numbers and effective implementation.
At the prize distribution ceremony of the 4th edition of ‘The Governance Challenge’, he expressed confidence that youth-led research and innovation will soon position Maharashtra as a global innovation hub.
The prestigious governance competition was organised in collaboration with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Samagra. Prominent dignitaries present included Chief Secretary Rajesh Aggarwal, MITRA Governing Council Member Deepak Karanjikar and Gates Foundation Deputy Director Arnav Kapoor.
CM Fadnavis said that Maharashtra currently hosts over 18% of India’s total startups, exceeding 30,000 active ventures—the highest in the nation. He announced plans to construct a massive 300-acre Innovation City in Navi Mumbai, focusing primarily on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and advanced deep-tech research.
Under the Maharashtra Artificial Intelligence Policy 2026, the state will establish dedicated AI incubators and train over 200,000 youth and working professionals. Additionally, ‘M-Hub’ is being built as the state’s first dedicated startup incubator, he informed. Powered by innovation, Maharashtra aims to build a $1 trillion economy by 2030 and expand to a $2 trillion economy by 2035, he said.
CM Fadnavis stated that the state is establishing an end-to-end innovation pipeline—bridging ideas from tier-2 and tier-3 regional centres (such as Nagpur, Nashik, Kolhapur, Nanded, and Amravati) directly into market-ready global enterprises. “This initiative goes beyond a mere competition—it is a platform to discover talent and ideas that will shape the future administrative setup of Maharashtra and India. Hackathons should not end with certificates; their true strength lies in real-world implementation,” he added.
Chief Secretary Rajesh Aggarwal emphasised the synergy between government, corporate sectors, and market dynamics to foster self-sustaining innovations with minimal governmental friction.
–IANS
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