Maharashtra has approved an eight-day Finland visit by three senior officials to attend the Slush 2026 global startup conference, with the delegation tasked with connecting the state’s startups to international investors and studying Finland’s entrepreneurship ecosystem.
The delegation will travel from November 16 to 23 for the conference in Helsinki, scheduled for November 18 and 19. The visit has been approved by the state’s Skills, Employment, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Department.
The officials travelling to Finland are Additional Chief Secretary Manisha Verma, Maharashtra State Innovation Society chief executive officer Dr Shrikant Patil and Vivek Mogal, manager for innovation and startups at the society.
According to the department’s order, the visit is intended to provide Maharashtra’s startup sector with access to global investors, information about emerging technologies and an understanding of international models for building startup ecosystems. The delegation will participate in Slush 2026 as part of the state’s efforts to strengthen cooperation in innovation, entrepreneurship, research and investment.
The cost of the trip, including air travel, visa fees, insurance, accommodation, local transport, daily allowance and conference registration, will be paid from the budgetary provision available under Maharashtra’s innovation and startup policy. The order directs officials to ensure that the visit does not create an additional financial burden for the state government.
The approval comes as restrictions have been placed on foreign travel by ministers and officials in the name of conserving foreign exchange and maintaining financial discipline. The use of the startup policy allocation makes the funding source for the Finland visit distinct from general administrative spending, although the order does not disclose the total estimated cost of the delegation.
The visit also follows a memorandum of understanding signed on July 21, 2025, between the Maharashtra State Innovation Society and the Consulate of Finland in Mumbai. The agreement was intended to expand cooperation between Maharashtra and Finland in innovation, entrepreneurship, research and investment, and included participation in the Slush conference.
The delegation’s scheduled programme will therefore combine conference participation with discussions and learning linked to the earlier Maharashtra-Finland cooperation agreement. The officials are expected to represent the state’s innovation institutions during the Helsinki conference before returning at the end of the approved travel period on November 23.
