Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami participated in the Startup Samvad event organized under the Mukhya Sevak Samvad series at the Mukhya Sevak Sadan in Dehradun on Sunday. During the program, he engaged in meaningful conversations with startup entrepreneurs from across the state and listened to their valuable suggestions. On this occasion, the Chief Minister also launched the book Unnat Uttarakhand and visited various stalls showcasing innovative startup projects.
CM Dhami outlined the government’s target to establish an incubation center in every district within the next five years, aiming to nurture 1000 startups across the state. The government has already introduced entrepreneurship courses in universities and colleges and launched a dedicated startup portal. Additionally, a ₹200 crore Uttarakhand Venture Fund has been established to financially support startups, along with technical guidance and infrastructure assistance to strengthen the startup ecosystem.
Encouraging the youth, CM Dhami urged them to take advantage of government schemes to launch their startups, emphasizing the need for young people to become job creators rather than job seekers. He praised the national shift toward innovation-driven change and highlighted that Uttarakhand is keeping pace with the country’s startup momentum.
Highlighting the state’s commitment, he shared that Uttarakhand Startup Policy 2023 has been implemented, providing seed funding up to ₹15 lakh and a monthly allowance of up to ₹22,000 during initial stages. CM Dhami also announced the upcoming world-class Uttarakhand Innovation Hub (U-Hub) at the IT Park in Dehradun, being built at a cost of ₹60 crore to serve as a nodal center for incubation activities.
More than 1300 startups from Uttarakhand have already received recognition from the Government of India, with 50% of them led by women entrepreneurs. The Chief Minister described startups as the embodiment of the power of new ideas, the courage to realize dreams, and the commitment to advancing the nation.
Several startup founders also shared their experiences at the event. Shraddha Negi, founder of a design studio, appreciated the state government’s support and emphasized promoting local art and culture. Kunal Uniyal from Integrated Maritime Exchange Pvt. Ltd. requested policies for enhancing digital infrastructure. Vikas Shah of Pulx Motors highlighted his innovation of high-performance electric bikes for the Himalayan region and suggested subsidies for innovations beyond the initial stages.
Babita Singh from Pithoragarh spoke about empowering farmers through organic farming and urged special assistance for rural startups. Swarlin Kaur from Runway-UPES praised the Uttarakhand Venture Fund’s support and requested the integration of private incubators into government initiatives. Chandra Mani Kumar of Agrijoy LLP requested the provision of free cold storage facilities to boost agribusiness in the hills.
The event was attended by Mayor Saurabh Thapliyal, Mandi Parishad Chairman Anil Dabbu, Principal Secretary R.K. Sudhanshu, Secretary (Industries) Vinay Shankar Pandey, Director General (Industries) Prateek Jain, Additional Directors Shikhar Saxena and Mrityunjay Singh, Joint Director Anupam Singh, Deepak Murari, and several others.