30 September,2026 05:38 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis while speaking at Jamshed Bhabha Auditorium in NCPA, Mumbai (Pic/Special arrangement)
Maharashtra's growing startup ecosystem and the research potential of its youth can help the state emerge as a global innovation hub, Chief Minister (CM) Devendra Fadnavis said on Wednesday.
CM Fadnavis on Wednesday, September 30, while speaking at the award ceremony for the fourth edition of the The Governance Challenge competition at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) in Mumbai, said that the initiative was more than a competition and aimed to identify talent and ideas that could influence the future of governance in Maharashtra and the country.
The theme of this year's competition was to develop ideas and solutions to strengthen Maharashtra's research and innovation ecosystem by 2035. Six shortlisted teams presented their ideas during the final round.
Fadnavis said that the government wants to bring the perspective of the younger generation into areas such as artificial intelligence, data analysis, digital governance, urbanisation, agriculture, healthcare, education, climate change and the innovation ecosystem.
"The role of youth will be important in creating a developed India and a developed Maharashtra by 2047," Fadnavis said.
Fadnavis also added that young researchers from different parts of Maharashtra, including Nagpur, Nashik, Kolhapur, Nanded and Amravati, should have access to mentorship, technology, incubation and markets.
He said that the state was working towards developing an innovation chain that could take ideas from classrooms to companies and eventually to global markets.
The Maharashtra Chief Minister also stressed that the outcome of such competitions should not be limited to certificates and that promising ideas should be taken forward for actual implementation.
Fadnavis said Maharashtra accounts for 18 per cent of the country's total startups and has more than 30,000 startups, which he described as the highest number among states.
He said startups, industries and educational institutions need to work together to research, test and implement new ideas.
Fadnavis highlighted that M-Hub was being developed as a dedicated startup incubator in the state. He also said an innovation city focused on artificial intelligence and cutting-edge technologies would be developed on 300 acres in Navi Mumbai.
Under the Maharashtra Artificial Intelligence Policy 2026, the government plans to train two lakh youth and professionals and establish AI incubators to promote AI-based research, Fadnavis further asserted.
Fadnavis said Maharashtra has 87 universities, around 5,500 colleges and more than 4.5 million students, creating a large pool of young people who could contribute to research and innovation.
He said the government would continue to encourage young people with new ideas. He also referred to the Chief Minister's Fellowship initiative, under which young professionals have been given opportunities to work directly with senior administrators since 2015.
Maharashtra has set a target of becoming a USD 1 trillion economy by 2030 and a USD 2 trillion economy by 2035. Fadnavis said innovation would play an important role in achieving these targets.
He added that the state's objective was to develop cutting-edge technology in Maharashtra for applications in India and across the world.
