Youth Respond Enthusiastically to Initiative Conceptualised by Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha
Work orders worth Rs 10 lakh each to be awarded to 50 winners
Rs 5 crore fund allocated for implementation of innovative ideas
Mumbai, November 2026 : The multi-state ‘Seva First Innovation Challenge’ has received an unprecedented response from students, young people, aspiring entrepreneurs and researchers. The application process for the competition concluded at midnight on October 31, with a total of 1,07,603 participants registering for the initiative.
The competition, which aims to provide a platform for young people to showcase their innovative ideas, has achieved a world-record milestone, said Skill Development, Employment, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha at a press conference held at the Legislature Correspondents’ Room in Mantralaya. Dr. Apoorva Palkar, Vice-Chancellor of the Ratan Tata Maharashtra State Skills University, was also present.
Minister Lodha said that the initiative was organised through the Department of Skill Development, Employment, Entrepreneurship and Innovation under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the leadership of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
A total of 1,07,603 participants registered from the Maharashtra Zone, which includes Maharashtra, Goa, Chhattisgarh and the Union Territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu. The registrations included 79,162 teams, while 32,298 participants completed their profiles. As many as 6,192 women and 4,549 participants below the age of 18 also registered for the competition.
A total of 21,550 participants registered under the general category, and 16,057 innovative ideas were submitted by the contestants.
The competition aims to identify innovative solutions to challenges across 10 major sectors: agriculture; law and order; women and child welfare; urban development; health and medical services; defence; sustainability, including energy and climate-related areas; infrastructure and transportation; emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain; and education and employability.
Each of these 10 sectors has five sub-sectors, taking the total to 50. One winner will be selected from each sub-sector.
Minister Lodha said that the 50 winners would each receive a work order worth Rs 10 lakh, with a total allocation of Rs 5 crore for the initiative. This would ensure that promising ideas are not restricted to awards but get an opportunity to be implemented on the ground.
He said the competition had been organised to provide a suitable platform for young innovators, encourage aspiring entrepreneurs and promote the implementation of innovations that serve society. The enthusiastic response to the ‘Seva First Innovation Challenge’, he added, reflected the creativity and entrepreneurial potential of the youth.
“We are working towards making Maharashtra the innovation capital of the country under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the leadership of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The 50 winners of this competition will receive work orders worth Rs 10 lakh each, amounting to a total of Rs 5 crore. The main objective is to provide financial support to young people's ideas and create opportunities for their actual implementation. We are committed to enabling young people to become entrepreneurs and innovators who generate employment rather than merely seek jobs,” Minister Lodha said.
Key Initiatives of the Department of Skill Development, Employment, Entrepreneurship and Innovation
CM MahaFund Scheme
Under the CM MahaFund scheme, the department plans to provide collateral-free loans ranging from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh at very low interest rates to one lakh selected young innovators from a pool of 30 lakh aspiring innovators. The initiative aims to strengthen Maharashtra's position as the country's innovation capital.
In addition, aspiring entrepreneurs and young innovators will receive expert guidance to help them establish their own startups.
Short-Term Courses
To equip young people with modern technological skills and improve their employment opportunities, various short-term courses are being offered free of cost at Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs).
These courses cover emerging and employment-oriented skills such as artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, drone technology, electric vehicle (EV) technology, solar energy, green hydrogen, Internet of Things (IoT), additive manufacturing, mobile repair and technician training, and social media influencing.
New-Age Courses
Modern technology-based new-age courses are being introduced in government Industrial Training Institutes in a phased manner.
These include Solar Technician (Electrical), Electric Vehicle Mechanic, Drone Technician, Additive Manufacturing Technician (3D Printing), AI Programming Assistant, and Industrial Robotics and Digital Manufacturing.
The courses are intended to provide students with opportunities to acquire skills relevant to future technologies.
State-Level Coordination Institution
State-level coordination institutions are being established to facilitate cooperation among various government and non-government organisations working in the field of innovation across Maharashtra.
The initiative aims to provide broader direction to the work of these institutions, strengthen mutual cooperation and build a more robust innovation ecosystem across the state.
