By Dominick Rodrigues
Mumbai : Maharashtra and the UK have signed an MOU to strengthen the existing tech start-up ecosystem in the State by accelerating technological innovations, that address urgent climate change challenges and leverage potential of emerging technologies to drive sustainable economic growth in both countries.
This program aims at enabling Indian and UK start-ups to expand internationally through market entry support in their respective cross-border markets of interest.The MOU was signed ‘virtually’ by the UK Government (under their ‘Act4Green’ programme) and the Maharashtra State Innovation Society (MSInS) — a nodal agency setup under the aegis of Skill Development, Employment and Entrepreneurship, Government of Maharashtra, responsible for the execution of the State’s innovative start-up policy.
The MoU was signed by Deependra Singh Kushwah, IAS, CEO MSInS and Ms. Karen McLuskie, Deputy Director, Foreign & Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) UK Government in the presence of top officials.
Expressing confidence that the partnership would strengthen the clean tech startup ecosystem in the state, Maharashtra Minister for Skill Development, Employment and Entrepreneurship Nawab Malik noted that the Act4Green programme strengthened strategic links between the Indian and UK innovation ecosystem, while also viewing future collaborations.
Declaring the MOU as further sign of the Maharashtra Government’s leadership in this area that would lead to increased support for innovative British and Indian start-ups, Alan Gemmell, UK Trade Commissioner for South Asia and British Deputy High Commissioner for Western India, highlighted the UK-Maharashtra long-standing friendship and interest in tackling climate change – as witnessed in the “Environment Minister’s recent decision to dedicate Tillari Conservation Reserve to the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy.”
Manisha Verma, IAS, Principal Secretary, Skill Development, Employment and Entrepreneurship Department said efforts would be made to identify mentors and connect the selected start-ups with possible investors, as part of long and sustained collaboration in multiple areas of skill development and empowerment of youth alongside fostering innovations and entrepreneurship for both UK and India.
The partnership is a committed effort in strengthening India and the UK Clean-Tech & Green-Tech ecosystems through expertise and knowledge while developing platforms, building cooperation and leveraging network for collective collaborations.
MSInS — which was set up in 2018 under the State’s Maharashtra’s Department of Skill Development, Employment and Entrepreneurship (SDEED) — is the nodal agency responsible for the execution of the Maharashtra State Innovative Startup Policy, that envisions transforming the state by catalysing the growth of an innovation-driven entrepreneurial ecosystem to achieve wholesome and inclusive socioeconomic development.
MSInS is working towards developing robust infrastructure and easing regulatory framework to spur the development of the start-up ecosystem in Maharashtra by undertaking initiatives such as Maharashtra Start-up Week, State-wide network of Incubation Centres, financial incentives, among others.
+ACT4Green+ is highlighting ‘Accelerating CleanTech for Green’ — a programme by the UK Government in India to address the funding, mentoring and market access needs of Indian and UK clean tech start-ups. The UK Government has joined forces with the leading clean tech accelerators in India and the UK to strengthen the clean tech start-up ecosystems by helping them gain access and establish powerful connections with venture capital networks in both countries.
It will leverage expertise within the UK and Indian clean tech ecosystem, including entrepreneurship experts, investors, businesses and innovation partners. The clean tech theme covers: Smart grid technologies and energy storage; Clean mobility; and Energy efficiency as the sub-sectors for the programme
