Mumbai: The Maharashtra Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, has approved the Maharashtra Startup, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Policy 2025, with an ambitious goal of creating 1.25 lakh entrepreneurs and 50,000 startups over the next five years.
About The Policy
The policy aims to establish Maharashtra as a global hub for innovation, job creation, and unicorn startups. As of May 31, 2025, Maharashtra leads the nation with 29,147 registered startups – accounting for 18% of India’s total. The new policy seeks to build a stronger and more efficient ecosystem for entrepreneurs, innovators, and investors.
The skill, employment, entrepreneurship and innovation department will serve as the nodal agency. All programmes will be implemented through the Maharashtra State Innovation Society (MSIS), established in 2017. MSIS will be governed by a general body chaired by the chief minister and comprising secretaries from key departments, including industry, planning, finance, IT, health, agriculture, urban development, transport, and education.
A governor’s council will oversee the implementation of the general body’s decisions. The governing structure will also include experts, industry leaders, and industry associations. Officials emphasised that the policy was shaped through extensive public consultation, involving citizens, startups, academic institutions, incubators, investors, and subject-matter experts. Based on feedback, it includes features like simplified incentive processes, regional incubation support, digital literacy, and entrepreneurial skill development.
