Participates in ‘Startup Samvad’ under Chief Servant Dialogue; Releases ‘Unnat Uttarakhand’ Book
DEHRADUN: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday participated in the Startup Samvad program held under the Chief Servant Dialogue initiative at the Chief Servant Sadan in Dehradun. The event saw active engagement from entrepreneurs and innovators across Uttarakhand, as the CM listened to their suggestions and encouraged them to contribute to the state’s growing startup ecosystem.
During the program, the Chief Minister released a book titled Unnat Uttarakhand and visited various startup stalls showcasing innovative ideas and local entrepreneurial efforts.
CM Dhami announced that the state government has set a target of establishing 1,000 startups over the next five years, supported by incubation centers in every district. To bolster this vision, entrepreneurship courses have been introduced in universities and colleges, and a dedicated startup portal has been launched. The state has also created the Uttarakhand Venture Fund with an initial corpus of ₹200 crore to financially support budding entrepreneurs.
He emphasized the government’s commitment to offering financial aid, technical support, and necessary infrastructure for startups. “A strong and structured startup ecosystem is taking shape in Uttarakhand,” said CM Dhami.
Calling on the youth to become job creators rather than job seekers, the CM highlighted that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has become a global startup hub. Initiatives like Startup India, Make in India, and RAMP Yojana have opened new avenues for innovation-driven entrepreneurship.
“Uttarakhand is moving in sync with the national startup movement. Our Startup Policy 2023 offers seed funding up to ₹15 lakh and an initial monthly allowance of ₹22,000 to help startups in their early stages,” he added.
The CM also announced the upcoming Uttarakhand Innovation Hub (U-Hub) — a world-class nodal incubation center being set up at IT Park, Dehradun at a cost of ₹60 crore. All district-level incubation centers will be linked to this hub and affiliated with academic institutions.
Highlighting the progress made so far, CM Dhami said over 1,300 startups from Uttarakhand have been recognized by the Government of India, with nearly 50% of them founded by women entrepreneurs. “Startups represent the power of innovation, the courage to dream, and the determination to drive national progress,” he said.
At the event, Shraddha Negi, founder of Design Studio, thanked the Chief Minister for the government’s support. She shared her efforts in promoting the Vocal for Local movement and requested the inclusion of local art, architecture, and crafts under the One District One Product initiative.
Also present at the event were Mayor Saurabh Thapliyal, Mandi Parishad Chairman Anil Daboo, Principal Secretary RK Sudhanshu, Secretary Industries Vinay Shankar Pandey, DG Industries Prateek Jain, and other senior officials.
