The Maharashtra government has unveiled a new Startup, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Policy 2025, aiming to nurture 1.3 lakh entrepreneurs and recognize up to 50,000 startups over the next five years. Central to the policy is the creation of a dedicated Innovation City spread across 300 acres, designed to bring together startups, corporates, investors, academia, and government bodies under one collaborative ecosystem.
Each state department will allocate 0.5% of its budget for promoting entrepreneurship and innovation, ensuring cross-sector support. The Innovation City is expected to function as a hub for cutting-edge research, innovation, and industry-academia collaboration, fostering an environment conducive to scalable and socially relevant ventures.
To facilitate grassroots entrepreneurship, the government will implement the CM Maha Fund, with a Rs 500 crore corpus over five years. Selected candidates will receive loans ranging from Rs 5 lakh to 10 lakh in partnership with financial institutions. The policy aims to cultivate 25,000 successful entrepreneurs and innovators during this period.
Further, a venture fund will support deep-tech and women-led startups that demonstrate innovation, scalability, and social impact. To tackle cash flow challenges, the government will coordinate with financial institutions to provide loans against confirmed work orders from reliable clients, including government bodies and large corporations.
The policy also provides funding of up to Rs 5 crore per incubation centre, alongside dedicated capacity-building programs to enhance the operational capabilities of these centres. Through this comprehensive approach, Maharashtra seeks to establish a robust regional entrepreneurial ecosystem, accelerate startup growth, and position the state as a leading startup destination in India.
