Thane to open state’s first start-up hub in six months
This centre will be set up at the Rustomjee Township, and provide support, training and office space to new entrepreneurs
Even as the state government gave start-ups a major boost at the Magnetic Maharashtra investor summit, the Thane Municipal Corporation has already taken a step further towards promoting start-ups. It will set up a hub to provide training, support and infrastructure to start-ups in the city, in the next six months.
Called the global impact centre, it will be set up at the Rustomjee Township on Saket Balkum Road. It will function as an accelerator, incubator and a place of innovation for start-ups, providing office space as well as technical support to aspiring entrepreneurs. It will be the first such centre in Maharashtra, and the second in the country.
The centre will be established across 1.2 lakh sq ft of space, of which 30,000 sq ft will become functional in six months. It is expected to generate around 50,000 jobs and 800 new entrepreneurs in the city over the next five years.
Thane municipal commissioner Sanjeev Jaiswal said: “This is one of the biggest start-up hubs, which apart from merely giving technical and financial support for start-ups, will promote innovation, act as an accelerator, offer co-working spaces. The centre will provide help to come up with innovative start-up ideas, be an accelerator by providing training for those who set up start-ups. Any new start-up takes time to set up, and the centre will provide guidance, solutions to teething troubles.”
Jaiswal said the centre would also promote co-working. “We will provide work desks to small entrepreneurs who want to set up business in the city, but cannot afford office space. The rent-a-desk concept, which is popular in Bandra-Kurla Complex, will be implemented here. The place will come with all office amenities and at a much cheaper price than other business hubs.”