Maharashtra Leads in Startups, 45% Run by Women

By: WE staff | Monday, 10 November 2025

• Maharashtra has emerged as India’s leading startup hub
• The state has the highest number of registered ventures in the country
• Nearly 45% of these startups have a female leader

Maharashtra has quickly developed into the startup capital of India, with the largest number of registered startups in the country. According to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, almost 45 percent of these startups include women as founders.

Launching Innovation Mahakumbh 2025 at SNDT Women’s University in Juhu, he stated that women entrepreneurs would be instrumental in the movement to raise India to a USD 5 trillion economy.

Devendra, however, said the state's youth and women entrepreneurs were the driving force for India's economic growth. He added that the startup-friendly policy of Maharashtra, with collaborations between government and universities, is fostering the growth of young innovators.

He went on to argue that innovation today is not only about the creation of new products, but is also there to make life easier. When ideas are turned into actionable solutions to the market, they have a direct effect on the development of the economy.

Technologies, like artificial intelligence and data analytics, are accelerating this change.  Fadnavis pointed to India's Startup India initiative, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi started, as placing India as the third largest startup ecosystem in the world, and would soon reach the second position.

Hats off to social reformers like Maharshi Dhondo Keshav Karve for developing SNDT University for Women in 1916; Devendra remarked that he has created the groundwork for women's empowerment and innovated Maharashtra from a land of isolation to one of innovation.

Women entrepreneurs presented numerous innovations in various sectors, and awards were given out for best start-ups in health care, agriculture, and transport management.

Skill Development Minister Mangalprabhat Lodha added his perspective by sharing what the State is doing in this space with education and innovation and believes that the State is on the forefront and offering the state's support to both SNDT University and women entrepreneurs.

A pre-incubation centre for entrepreneurs to build the process of growing an idea from idea generation to market was also launched on the SNDT campus.

The work that Maharashtra is doing to spark entrepreneurship among women will continue to position the state to build its part of India's growth economy.