Government of Maharashtra Signs MoU with the
Network for Global Innovation
Collaboration will develop a “High Performance Innovation Ecosystem” for the state of Maharashtra
Los Angeles, CA – September 28, 2018 – The Network for Global Innovation (NGIN) today announced that the Government of Maharashtra (GoM) has signed a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the network for cooperation in the creation of a high-performance innovation ecosystem in the state in India.
The GoM Principal Secretary of IT, S.V.R Srinivas, joined NGIN President and CEO Fred Walti at the LaKretz Innovation Campus in downtown Los Angeles for the signing and subsequent discussion. David Ou, International Trade Specialist for the Office of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, was witness to the signing.
The partnership between these two entities was facilitated by The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) as part of the U.S.-India State and Urban Initiative, whose Secretariat is led by CSIS’s Wadhwani Chair in U.S.-India Policy Studies and the Energy and National Security Program. Supported by the U.S. Department of State, the U.S.-India State and Urban Initiative “has broken new grounds in connecting U.S. and Indian states to dialogue about their shared fate in managing the energy transition,” stated Dr. Kartikeya Singh, Deputy Director, Wadhwani Chair at CSIS. This MoU is also supported by the California Energy Commission.
Recognizing the importance of international markets for start-up companies, Fred Walti conceived NGIN in 2013 as an initiative of the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) with the mission of interconnecting the world’s leading clean technology innovation institutions to accelerate the adoption of sustainable technologies. NGIN has accelerated the expansion of start-up companies in more than 20 global markets, attracted a range of innovative cleantech companies to the U.S. market, and assisted other institutions to build high performance ecosystems in the U.S., Mexico, Finland and Africa.
Maharashtra is India’s economic powerhouse, home to the economic capital of Mumbai and the source of a large share of the central government’s tax revenues. The Government of Maharashtra hopes to build upon the successes of LACI and NGIN with the addition of their state to this global ecosystem.
Walti stated, “NGIN’s goal is to combat the global challenges of climate change while introducing new business opportunities – especially in developing countries and emerging economies. I believe that India can meet its huge sustainable energy goals through developing a state-wide cleantech innovation ecosystem in Maharashtra. This collaboration between NGIN and GoM will serve as a pilot, hopefully leading to national expansion.”
About NGIN
The Network for Global Innovation (NGIN), created in 2013, is dedicated to building a global commercialization ecosystem focused on helping clean technology entrepreneurs collaborate and prosper no matter where they reside. NGIN has 20 members in Canada, China, Finland, Italy, Germany, India, Japan, Mexico and the U.S. Its members include premier innovation institutions and take a wide range of forms: incubators, accelerators, technology parks, venture capitalists, universities, non-profits and government agencies. All share a common commitment to sustainable technologies, assisting entrepreneurs, and connecting to the rest of the world.
NGIN is headquartered in Los Angeles at the La Kretz Innovation Center and comprises four programs used by partners in the U.S and internationally.
- The International Access Program helps companies enter the US and other global markets
- The Innovation Ecosystem Model is an Incubator in a Box blueprint for building high performance economic ecosystems
- The International Trade Tour is a series of global trade missions to assist high growth technology companies enter global markets with practical, real world market entry tactics
- The International Executive in Residence (IEIR) program provides best practice training to mentors in other incubation and acceleration programs
About GoM
The Government of Maharashtra is the government for the state of Maharashtra in Western India. It is an elected government with 288 MLAs elected to the legislative assembly for a five-year term. The government is led by the Chief Minister who selects the cabinet ministers. Maharashtra is India’s economic powerhouse, home to the economic capital of Mumbai and the source of a large share of the central government’s tax revenues.”
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