In relation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s start-up India initiative, the Maharashtra government has freed the State Innovation Council from its control, with a aim of creating it an independent body with the foremost objective to make Mumbai and Maharshtra the capital of startups. In this regard, the state cabinet took a decision on Tuesday.

Soon the cabinet will create a new viewpoint plan based on Center’s start-up India scheme and would help to generate entrepreneurship landscape in Maharashtra. With a objective to encourage, facilitate and support innovations in schools and colleges across Maharashtra, the Pune based council will also set up an office in Mumbai and other districts headquarters.

Dr Raghunath Mashelkar would pursue to be the co-chairman of the council, with the state chief secretary being the chairman. Secretaries of IT, school education, higher and technical education, industries, IIT-Bombay director, director of Institute of Chemical Technology, and director of IISER, Pune are among the members. The member secretary of the council would be Dr Rajendra Jagdale.

“Our state is a fast developing one where youths are full of ideas, but they need a powerful ecosystem to convert it into reality. We hope the state innovation council is able to do that,” said a highly placed official of the Industries Department, referring to the immense energy and potential of the entrepreneurs.

In order to manage the state’s growth in every sphere of development and would play a vital role in enhancing innovations by way of advising various state departments , encouraging and rewarding youth, academics, research development centers , MSMEs industries and agriculture the council set up in 2014