Shri Piyush Goyal visits Science and Technology Park in Savitribai Phule, Pune University.
The healthy competition between Pune and Mumbai in the start-up ecosystem should continue Piyush Goyal.
India may have a billion problems but it also has billion brilliant entrepreneurs to solve these problems: Piyush Goyal.
The Minister for Commerce & Industry, Textiles, Consumer Affairs and Food & Public Distribution, Shri Piyush Goyal today said, it is encouraging that 46 per cent of start-ups registered with DPIIT have women as part of the ecosystem. He hoped that women will lead the Start-up culture in Maharashtra. He further said, today we have a startup ecosystem across the length and breadth of India. 45000 startups have been registered in India. It is the third-largest ecosystem in the world.
Informing that as per DPIIT registrations, Pune has 3200 Start-ups whereas Mumbai 3274 Start-ups, Minister suggested that this healthy competition between Pune and Mumbai should continue.
Recalling the contribution of social reformer and educationist Savitribal Phule, he said that Savitribai had started the first girl’s school in Pune, so it is befitting that women entrepreneurs showcase their work in this Science Technology Park in Pune.
Comparing Incubators with parents, the minister added that they are like guides and supporters that start-ups need. Describing Pune’s unique position to support start-ups due to the presence of industry, IT and finest academic institutions minister added that it is time to increase international collaboration in the start-up ecosystem.
He expressed the need for collaboration of Academia, industry and research for the thriving of Startups.
The minister further informed that it is heartening to note that out of 79 Unicorns in India, 4 are from Pune. Sci-Tech Park in Pune University has 153 startups.
Noting that some of the innovations showcased in today’s Science and Technology Park for Divyang people were exciting, he hoped to see more innovations for farmers, divyang and the poor.
Stressing that government involvement always stifles industries’ progress, the Minister gave examples of decades of the sixties and seventies when industrial progress was hampered due to government interventions. He went on to add that no Unicorn today would have reached this position solely based on government support.
Minister said that way forward can only be in a way where the architecture of startups is drawn by entrepreneurs while the government will only provide support in the form of a facilitator.
However, he added that some initiatives like Covaxin are good examples of government and industry collaboration.
He concluded that India may have a billion problems but it also has brilliant billion entrepreneurs to solve these problems with extremely cost-effective solutions for farmers, Divyang and the Poor.
