DNA EXCLUSIVE: Maharashtra forms panel to prepare startup policy for public universities

Written By Sanjay Jog | Updated: Dec 02, 2017, 08:30 AM IST

Picture for representational purpose

The objective is to create an ecosystem for the startups on the lines of IITs, IIMs and the Stanford University

Maharashtra government has launched an exercise to put in place policy to promote startups by public universities. The objective is to create an ecosystem for the startups on the lines of IITs, IIMs and the Stanford University.

The government has formed a 14 member committee headed by the vice chancellor of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Technological University Dr Vilas Gaikar with a mandate to prepare a draft startup policy in next six months.

The committee comprises representatives of industry, leading educational institutes including IIT, Mumbai and education experts. The government's move comes against the backdrop of the Maharashtra Public Universities Act, 2017 which came into effect from March this year. The policy will be applicable in 11 public universities and universities such as SNDT Women's University and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Technological University.

"The committee will prepare a policy and a broad framework, guiding principles for students who will be part of startups and also work out a framework for the inclusion of various industries in the startups. According to the section 53 of the Maharashtra Public Universities Act, 2017, the public universities will lay emphasis on innovation, incubation and enterprise for creation of cultivation of an enabling environment to propagate the concept of innovation and to convert the innovative ideas into working models through a process of incubation. This is expected to lead to the creation of enterprise. The public universities will establish a separate Board for this purpose.

Further, the public universities will set up an independent Centre for innovation, incubation and enterprise and it will exercise the powers and perform the duties designed by the Board.

The officer said the public universities will take a cue from existing startups and innovation ventures by IITs and IIMs. He referred to the SINE, Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, hosted by Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay which is an umbrella for promotion of entrepreneurship at IIT Bombay. Similar setups also exist at IIM Ahmedabad and Kolkata.