Nagpur: Shrikant Patil, chief executive officer of Maharashtra State Innovation Society, on Saturday, proposed setting up what he described as India’s first rare earth metals innovation centre in Nagpur, arguing that the state must move from service-led startups to innovation-driven enterprises in strategic sectors. Speaking during a fireside chat on the 2nd day of the Advantage Vidarbha summit, Patil said India produces only 5.6% of rare earth metals and does not process any of them domestically.
“China produces 65% of these metals, which are needed in the majority of electronic devices. If China stops processing, the entire world will suffer. Why don’t we work on innovation in Nagpur around rare earth metals? This could be India’s first such centre, and we proposed the concept to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis,” he said, adding that discussions are still in the primary stage. Patil said Maharashtra has more than 33,000 startups out of nearly 2 lakh across India, but the state now needs ventures capable of scaling into global companies. “We should not be a service kind of startup state,” he said, adding that countries such as China, Vietnam and Bangladesh focused on innovation-led growth. Referring to the chief minister’s ‘CM Maha Fund’ and the concept of “One Student, One Idea,” Patil said colleges must evolve into incubation centres. “A student has an idea but no platform to declare it. Colleges must turn into incubation centres. Idea labs, not typical labs. Teachers must find the ‘Rancho’ in students and nurture them,” he said. He emphasised district-specific startups and rural innovation, saying 750 to 800 district-level startups could be supported through a region-wise Rs50 crore fund-of-funds and mentor networks linked to incubators. He also highlighted women-led enterprises as a priority. “We want women-led startups to mushroom in the state,” he said.Patil said the state is exploring startup desks and discussions with countries such as Australia and Germany to help entrepreneurs expand globally. “Students should not go abroad only for jobs, but to start startups,” he said.
