Govt to take steps to make Mumbai, Maharashtra start-up capital: Fadnavis

The Maharashtra CM was inaugurating a seed investment and innovation platform

In sync with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's start-up India initiative, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today assured small business men and venture investors that he will take necessary steps to make Mumbai and Maharashtra the capital for start-ups.

"You have given me a mission. In the coming days, we will make Maharashtra and Mumbai, capital of start-ups," Fadnavis said here while inaugurating a seed investment and innovation platform.

He said the blueprint of start-up India, Standup India Initiative, being unveiled today, would be government's new year gift to the entrepreneurship landscape in the country.

"It is said that nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come. But what if a powerful idea is not supported by a powerful ecosystem? The idea goes elsewhere. That's what we have been experiencing," he said.

"I think aspiring Indian youth is so powerful, and they just need a little bit of handholding to transform their ideas into reality. The blueprint of PM Modi's start-up India, Standup India would be the government's new year gift to the entrepreneurship landscape," he said.

The chief minister observed that world over Indians have contributed to building very successful start-ups, but they had to go to Silicon Valley or Singapore because India lacked the infrastructure and ecosystem.

"We need to create ecosystems at more places, and the Prime Minister understands we are a youthful country. Compared to China, Silicon Valley or Singapore, we account for only 10% of start-ups, but we are one of the most youthful start-up nation," he said.

Referring to the immense energy and potential of entrepreneurs, he said that as a fast developing nation, we have a great demand for innovation.

"This is an immense energy we have, which needs a channel. We have a nation of more than a billion people embracing technology. If we develop an ecosystem to shape this power the journey towards being a developed nation will be accelerated more," he said.

Fadnavis also said there is tremendous opportunity for start-ups during developing Smart Cities in the country.