10 youngsters from Thane and Dombivli embark on start-up ‘yatra’

Ten youngsters from Thane and Dombivli have started a state-wide Start-up Maharashtra Yatra to extend the knowledge of start-ups to those in tier 2 and tier 3 cities.

The group started this Yatra to help youngsters from tier 2 and tier 3 cities with the right resources for their start-ups. This comes after the state cabinet approved the Maharashtra State Innovation and Start-up policy in January to facilitate the emergence of more than 10,000 start-ups over the next five years. “As youngsters in other cities are more comfortable communicating in Marathi, language becomes a barrier as most start-up events use English in metros. Those from small cities should also get practical knowledge,” said Kunal Gadahire, 32, a Dombivli resident who is a part of this group. He is a social media consultant who helps organisations build their audience on the internet.

Like Gadahire, the Start-up Maharashtra Yatra has nine others who have either initiated or are working in start-ups. They started their journey with a small session at Gadkari Rangatayan on May 1. However, the month-long Yatra will begin on May 10 from Chiplun with a workshop. They hope to impact with 5,000 youngsters.

“Maharashtra has more than 1,000 start-ups.  We will connect those from tier 2 and tier 3 cities with investors, mentors, and others from the ecosystem. We hope to generate more talent and innovative ideas from these cities which will make the startup scene in the state stronger,” said Gadahire. This Yatra will take place in two phases – the first will be completed in a month in places such as Chiplun, Aurangabad, Nashik and Jalgaon. The second phase will see the team go to Pune, Nagpur, Amravati, Sangli and Kolhapur. The team will interact with participants in their regional language. “Our focus is to groom the next generation entrepreneurs and choose ideas that are scalable,” said Anil Mendse, 25, member of the Yatra, who works in a start-up.