TEAM-Mumbai has been demanding policy reforms in Maharashtra to ease doing business for the tech start-up world. A proposal is being sent by TEAM to the state government. There, TEAM is requesting the government to initiate a single-window clearance system and technologically enable all this with a view toward providing an ecosystem that promotes innovation and entrepreneurship. 

Maharashtra tops the country with more than 25,000 recognized startups and is a house for some of the top Indian tech ventures, such as Haptik, Pharmeasy, and Dream Sports. Even with the strong startup ecosystem in the state, TEAM feels there are scopes for improvement in regulatory procedures and support for emerging ventures. The association urged the state government to bring in best practices in the other successful innovation ecosystems across India and the world. 

TEAM’s Naiyya Saggi points out the potential for a unified and streamlined system to simplify the process of starting a business, which would help Maharashtra to its fullest. She further mentioned the SWIFT model implemented by Kerala, wherein they have successfully implemented an online clearance mechanism for licenses and permits, and the same gets cleared within hours. According to Saggi, the models adapted by Maharashtra could further position the state as a hub for innovation in technology. 

TEAM is also pushing for technological enhancements of regulatory efficiency. This includes creating an AI chatbot in assisting entrepreneurs in the registration as well as clearance processes to enable them to know every step of the way the entire process will take for completion. Data analytics would allow it to identify inefficiency and address approvals. Its proposed innovation cell, like Telangana already, would support and drive tech entrepreneurship in its own region. 

TEAM believes that Mumbai, and Maharashtra, can unlock its full potential as a global tech hub by integrating these technological solutions and streamlining regulatory processes. The annual Mumbai Tech Week of the association, attracting policymakers, investors, and tech leaders, further underlines the city’s significance in the startup landscape. The proposed changes would help in building a more efficient and supportive ecosystem and grooming the next generation of tech entrepreneurs in Maharashtra.