Himachal unveils innovation policy to fuel startups in technical institutes

The Himachal Pradesh government has approved the State Innovation Policy for Technical Education Institutions along with the State Innovation Fund Implementation Guidelines (2026-2028) to promote innovation, entrepreneurship and a vibrant startup culture across the state’s technical education ecosystem.

The policy seeks to transform Himachal Pradesh into an emerging innovation hub by enabling students, faculty members and startups to convert innovative ideas into technology-driven, market-ready solutions. It lays down a comprehensive framework covering prototype development, startup incubation, seed funding, intellectual property management, capacity building and industry collaboration, while ensuring transparency, accountability and measurable outcomes.

To support the initiative, the government has created a State Innovation Fund with an outlay of Rs 2 crore for 2026-2028. The fund will provide micro-grants for prototype development, seed funding for promising startups, financial assistance to strengthen incubation centres, support for innovation competitions and boot camps, faculty and student training programmes, and industry- and CSR-backed co-funding initiatives.

The policy also places special emphasis on inclusive innovation by encouraging greater participation of women, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and rural youth in technical education and the startup ecosystem.

The Director of Technical Education, Vocational and Industrial Training will serve as the nodal officer for implementation. Institutional-level Cluster Innovation Committees and a State Innovation Advisory Group will oversee project selection, fund utilisation and overall implementation to ensure effective and time-bound execution.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the policy would establish a uniform framework for intellectual property ownership and revenue sharing. Innovations developed under the programme would remain the property of the innovators, while educational institutions would retain non-exclusive rights for academic use.

He said the initiative would accelerate innovation-led economic growth, create job opportunities, strengthen the startup ecosystem and encourage wider youth participation.