Sumit Rajesh Mahajan named first CEO of UP Startup Mission
Kalpana Maurya
1 Oct 2026 · 2 min read
Uttar Pradesh has appointed 2020-batch IAS officer Sumit Rajesh Mahajan as the first CEO of its Startup Mission, part of a reshuffle of 14 IAS officers. He takes charge as the state rolls out its 2026 startup policy and a ₹1,000 crore UP Startup Fund.
The Uttar Pradesh government has appointed Sumit Rajesh Mahajan, a 2020-batch IAS officer of the UP cadre, as the first chief executive officer of the Uttar Pradesh Startup Mission. The appointment was part of a transfer order covering 14 IAS officers, reported by Elets eGov on 15 September 2026, and the Mission's website now lists Mahajan as CEO, Startup Story reported on 28 September.
Mahajan was previously chief development officer (CDO) of Saharanpur district. The post sits in the state's Department of IT and Electronics in Lucknow, according to Indian Bureaucracy.
Why the appointment matters
Until now, the Startup Mission did not have a dedicated administrative head of its own. Giving it a full-time CEO puts one officer in charge of running its programmes and coordinating the government's efforts on entrepreneurship and innovation, Elets noted.
The timing coincides with the implementation of the Uttar Pradesh Startup Policy 2026. The policy emphasises district-level incubation, funding, deep-tech innovation and infrastructure, and includes a ₹1,000 crore UP Startup Fund, a ₹400 crore AKTU Corpus Fund, and plans for a U-Hub and 20 domain-focused Centres of Excellence.
The state's startup base
The Mission's dashboard lists more than 24,000 DPIIT-recognised startups in Uttar Pradesh, 88 incubators and seven Centres of Excellence, with more than ₹146 crore disbursed so far. Its remit spans infrastructure, funding, talent development, industry connections and startup promotion, with an emphasis on making support easier to reach for founders outside the big cities.
About Sumit Rajesh Mahajan
As CDO of Saharanpur, Mahajan's district administration ran Mission Sunehra Kal, an early-childhood learning programme delivered through all 3,410 Anganwadi centres in the district. It reached more than 50,000 children and was later recognised by NITI Aayog as a national best practice in early childhood care and education.
The district team also worked with self-help groups on product quality, packaging, branding and marketing so that community enterprises could sell to wider markets, experience Startup Story links to the Mission's focus on smaller cities.
In Saharanpur, Mahajan has been succeeded as CDO by Dr Sunil Kumar Verma, previously Additional Commissioner in the Commercial Tax Department, according to Elets.
Key facts
- Organisation: Uttar Pradesh Startup Mission, Department of IT and Electronics, Lucknow
- Appointee: Sumit Rajesh Mahajan, IAS (UP cadre, 2020 batch)
- New role: first Chief Executive Officer
- Previous role: Chief Development Officer, Saharanpur
- Context: UP Startup Policy 2026, ₹1,000 crore UP Startup Fund, ₹400 crore AKTU Corpus Fund
- State base: 24,000+ DPIIT-recognised startups, 88 incubators
- Transfer order reported: 15 September 2026
Frequently asked questions
Who is the CEO of the UP Startup Mission?
Sumit Rajesh Mahajan, a 2020-batch IAS officer, is the Mission's first chief executive officer.
What was Sumit Rajesh Mahajan's previous posting?
He was chief development officer of Saharanpur district.
What funds does UP's 2026 startup policy include?
A ₹1,000 crore UP Startup Fund and a ₹400 crore AKTU Corpus Fund, along with plans for a U-Hub and 20 Centres of Excellence.
How many startups does Uttar Pradesh have?
The Startup Mission's dashboard lists more than 24,000 DPIIT-recognised startups.
