As National Startup Day shines a spotlight on India’s entrepreneurial momentum, Telangana is scripting a quieter yet far more inclusive innovation story. Moving beyond headline-grabbing unicorns and metro-centric growth, the Telangana Innovation Cell (TGIC) is taking innovation to the grassroots — into classrooms, small towns, and Tier 2 and Tier 3 districts. In this conversation, Meraj Faheem, CEO of TGIC, unpacks how the state is building local innovation ecosystems, backing first-time founders, and ensuring that big ideas don’t die simply because of geography.
Excerpts
January 16 is celebrated as National Startup Day. How has Telangana Innovation Cell translated this spirit into year-round, on-ground impact for startups across the state?
One of the most important decisions we took as a team last year was to focus on something that wasn’t happening enough — access to support for Tier 2 and Tier 3 innovators, wannabe founders, entrepreneurs, incubators, institutions, and other enablers outside Tier 1 cities. While support existed, it wasn’t sufficient. As we dug deeper, we realised that innovators should not have to travel to Hyderabad or any other Tier 1 city just to access early-stage support like TRL 1 to TRL 3. This should be available everywhere as a basic right. So we decided to build bridges, mechanisms, and systems to enable local ecosystems.
We started developing local ecosystems across the state through TGIC Host Institutions. Today, we have 29 host institutions across 33 districts in Telangana. Their primary role is to activate and build local ecosystems by bringing together local mentors, accomplished entrepreneurs, and business leaders who understand innovation and startups. Local success stories matter because people are more likely to listen to someone from their own region.
This helped activate grassroots innovation. However, we realised the process was still fragmented. Activating local ecosystems requires energy and resources, and it can’t be done remotely from Hyderabad. That’s when we designed the Innovation Panchayat, inspired by traditional village panchayats. Local innovators bring their challenges to elders of the local innovation ecosystem, who work together to solve them. Challenges that can’t be resolved locally are escalated further, where we facilitate further support. This foundational work was largely behind the scenes last year. Now that the foundation is laid, we are beginning to see real outcomes — greater engagement from Tier 2 and Tier 3 innovators who are voicing their challenges. Some are unhappy, and that’s okay. What matters is that they are speaking up. That helps us, as a government, prioritise and solve real problems.
We are also building a Tier 2 and Tier 3 – friendly mentor board. Telangana is blessed with immense intellectual and emotional talent. Emotional intelligence is crucial — mentors must understand challenges without judgement or immediate returns. This is a massive, statewide effort, and once completed, innovators will receive solutions to their problems within eight hours. That preserves momentum — the most valuable and rare resource for any founder. I say this from experience, having been an entrepreneur for over 15 years.
Programmes like Youth for Social Impact and TIRI focus strongly on grassroots and social innovation. Why was it important to place social impact at the heart of Telangana’s startup strategy?
Because everything else was already being addressed well. Social innovation needed a fresh approach and perspective. But more importantly, social impact isn’t just ‘social’. I strongly believe that every entrepreneur is a social entrepreneur. When you build a business, you create jobs. Jobs put food on tables, send children to school, and improve quality of life. That directly impacts societal happiness and social indices. Doing social good also enables capital and goodwill — and goodwill is good business. This approach is not about being fancy. We can live without flashy creative services, but we cannot live without farmers growing food and feeding themselves first. That philosophy is at the core of what we do, even if it isn’t glamorous.
Telangana is often seen as a frontrunner in policy-driven innovation. How does TGIC ensure government support reaches early-stage founders and first-time innovators?
This is possible because of strong leadership at the top — our ministers, special chief secretary, and other senior officials. The culture here is to keep the problem at the core. We don’t create policies for the sake of mandates. Policies are developed through extensive consultation with industry, investors, beneficiaries, enablers, and experts. This ensures policies address real needs and multiply impact. The freedom and guidance we receive from leadership allow us to do the right thing effectively.
Many founders struggle to move from idea to pilot to market. How is TGIC helping bridge this critical gap?
This is exactly what Innovation Panchayat solves. Founders often believe their idea is perfect, but without validation, they risk wasting time and resources. Through mentorship, data points, and case studies, ideas are validated early. Once validated, we connect innovators to ecosystem partners like T-Works, India’s largest prototyping centre. T-Works has been an incredible partner, helping innovators design, prototype, and refine hardware products. Examples include Srija, who was in Grade 8 when connected with TGIC and T-Works, and Ravi Kiran, founder of Alien Innovations, who developed a device for the visually impaired. It’s called ‘Navinaut’. These innovators come from districts across the state, reinforcing our goal of decentralisation.
How important is government – startup collaboration in solving real civic and societal challenges?
It is critically important. Through our Government – Startup Connect programme, we facilitate direct interactions between startups and departments such as transport, traffic police, municipalities, IT, and agriculture. These interactions help departments understand innovation and help startups build relevant, deployable solutions. We act as the bridge — ensuring collaboration, capacity building, and follow-through.
Telangana has a strong focus on Tier 2, Tier 3, and student entrepreneurs. What untapped potential do you see in these regions?
These regions are 90% untapped — true pots of gold. Much of India’s intellectual talent originates from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. I come from one myself. I’ve seen how the lack of a local ecosystem forces innovators to relocate. We cannot afford to let ideas die due to lack of access. These regions are our talent reserves, and we must build systems to unlock them.
As India’s startup ecosystem matures, what will define the next decade of innovation from Telangana?
Risk appetite must increase. While jobs remain important, government interventions — grants, collateral-free loans, policy support — are helping reduce risk. One successful startup creates multiple jobs and removes at least one person from unemployment. We are just getting started. There is a lot more to be done, and a lot of good is in store.
How has your entrepreneurial journey shaped your leadership at TGIC?
Coming from limited resources, with little market understanding and mentorship, I’ve learned through costly mistakes. Those lessons shaped me. A can-do attitude, learning while doing, and setting the right inspirations are critical. We need fewer copycat ideas and more risk-takers who build for the long term. Many world-changing innovations were once considered not doable — AI being a prime example. Talent is not our problem; identifying gaps and filling them is.
Finally, as we celebrate National Startup Day, what message would you like to share with upcoming founders?
Three short phrases:
1. Think really big.
2. Believe, and it will be.
3. Shut up and do it — there are no shortcuts.