States » WestPosted at: Sep 17 2026 5:00PM


Rais Shaikh urges Maha Govt to set up Minority Entrepreneurship Centres

Mumbai, Sep 17 (UNI) Samajwadi Party MLA Rais Shaikh has called on the Maharashtra government to create Minority Entrepreneurship and Business Incubation Centres across all six revenue divisions, with the aim of helping young people from minority communities to develop skills and establish micro and small businesses.
Shaikh has submitted the proposal to Deputy Chief Minister and Minority Development Minister Sunetra Pawar. He said the proposed centres should offer training, mentoring and other support to young men and women who want to enter business but lack access to the necessary resources and guidance.
In his proposal, Shaikh said minority communities account for around 20 per cent of Maharashtra’s population, while Muslims make up 11.54 per cent.
He linked poverty with a high dropout rate among Muslim students and argued that those unable to continue formal education should be provided alternative avenues through vocational training and entrepreneurship.
“Due to poverty, there is a 30 per cent dropout rate among Muslim students at the 10th and 12th standard levels. Barely 10 per cent of Muslim youth reach higher education. There is a need to encourage students who have been pushed out of the education system by providing them with opportunities for skill development and entrepreneurship,” Shaikh said.
The MLA cited the work of BARTI, MAHAJYOTI and SARTHI as examples of institutions that provide skill development, training and entrepreneurship opportunities to young people from different communities.
He also referred to the Maharashtra Research and Training Institute, or MRTI, which was intended to provide similar support to members of the minority community. Shaikh said the institute had not yet become operational for training purposes because of inadequate funding.
According to Shaikh, the proposed entrepreneurship centres could also work in coordination with the Maulana Azad Minorities Financial Development Corporation. Such coordination, he said, could help prospective entrepreneurs access loan schemes, financial assistance and support for preparing and assessing project reports.
Shaikh estimated that the proposed centres could help more than 1,000 young men and women in each revenue division establish micro and small businesses every year, creating an organised pathway from skill development to entrepreneurship for minority youth.
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