Gurugram, Jan. 22 -- Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini on Wednesday announced a series of initiatives aimed at strengthening the state's startup ecosystem, including the proposed Haryana AI Mission, incubation centres in industrial estates, and enhanced financial and technical support for entrepreneurs. Interacting with startup founders and entrepreneurs during a pre-budget consultation programme in Manesar, Saini said young innovators were giving a new direction to Haryana's economy and the government was committed to turning the state into a hub of innovation. "Startup India is not merely a government scheme, but a 'Rainbow Vision' that connects different sectors with new possibilities," he said, asserting that even a small idea, if backed by vision and support, can grow into a transformative enterprise. The chief minister said the pre-budget consultation was being held as a continuation of the spirit of National Startup Day, observed on January 16, to encourage entrepreneurs to share suggestions related to ease of doing business, funding and technical support. Highlighting the growth of India's startup ecosystem, Saini said the number of startups in the country had risen from 500 to over 200,000 in the past decade, with Haryana - especially Gurugram and Manesar - playing a key role. He said Haryana has more than 9,500 startups and ranks seven among the states, and boasts 19 unicorns (startup with valuation of one billion USD). A key announcement was the proposed Haryana AI Mission, under which an AI hub each will be set up in Gurugram and Panchkula. The mission has received an assurance of Rs.474 crore assistance from the World Bank, Saini said, adding that the initiative aims to train 50,000 youth in emerging technologies. To strengthen research and innovation in higher education, Saini said the state has established the State Research Fund with an initial corpus of Rs.20 crore, along with a Rs.2,000 crore Fund of Funds. He added that financial assistance of Rs.10 lakh per startup is being provided through HSIIDC and the Haryana State Startup Policy-2022 is currently in force. Recently, the government provided Rs.1.14 crore to 22 startups, he said. In a push to decentralise entrepreneurship beyond major cities, the chief minister said from the 2025-26 academic session, entrepreneurship competitions will be organised in every district, with selected teams receiving Rs 1 lakh to convert ideas into business models. Calling Manesar a major industrial hub, Saini said incubation centres will be established in all HSIIDC industrial estates to provide affordable workspaces for startups, and land has already been identified in three IMT areas. Saini also said over 50% of startups in Haryana have at least one woman director, and reiterated the government's commitment to supporting women entrepreneurs....