About Launchpad Central 

Since 2018, we've been nurturing innovation in Central India. Our mission is to build a thriving startup ecosystem that transforms ideas into impactful businesses.

2018
Founded
2020
First Cohort Graduated
2023
50th Startup Milestone
2026
90+ Startups Supported

Our Mission

To foster innovation and entrepreneurship in Central India by providing world-class infrastructure, mentorship, and funding support to startups solving real problems.

Our Vision

To establish Central India as a leading hub for innovation, producing 500+ successful startups by 2030 and creating significant economic impact in the region.

Our Values

Integrity, innovation, and impact drive everything we do. We believe in transparent operations, continuous learning, and creating lasting value for our ecosystem.

Leadership

MD

Manali Deshmukh

CEO & Co-Founder

Former VP at TCS with 15+ years in technology and innovation. Passionate about building the startup ecosystem in Central India.

SK

Shrikant Kulkarni

COO & Co-Founder

Serial entrepreneur with 3 successful exits. Expert in operations and scaling startups from 0 to 1.

PS

Dr. Prashant Sharma

Head of Innovation

PhD from IIT Bombay. Former researcher at CSIR. Leads our technical mentorship and FAB Lab operations.

Board of Directors

MS

Dr. Meena Sharma

Director

RK

Dr. Rajesh Kumar

Chairman

SP

Sunita Patil

Director

AJ

Arun Joshi

Director

MS

Dr. Meena Sharma

Director

RK

Dr. Rajesh Kumar

Chairman

Full Staff Directory

AS

Amit Singh

Finance Manager

AM

Anjali Mehta

Program Manager

RP

Rahul Patil

Startup Relations

SJ

Sneha Joshi

Events Coordinator

VD

Vikram Desai

Technical Mentor

PR

Pooja Rao

Marketing Lead

AS

Amit Singh

Finance Manager

AM

Anjali Mehta

Program Manager

Advisory Council

NS

Neha Singh

Marketing

VM

Vikram Mehta

Fundraising & VC

PA

Priya Agarwal

Product Strategy

SR

Sanjay Reddy

Manufacturing

AV

Dr. Anita Verma

Healthcare

RKu

Rahul Kulkarni

Technology

NS

Neha Singh

Marketing

VM

Vikram Mehta

Fundraising & VC

Affiliations & Recognition

RTMNU Affiliation

Officially affiliated with Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University, enabling us to support academic spinoffs and student entrepreneurs.

MSInS Recognition

Recognized by Maharashtra State Innovation Society under the Startup Maharashtra initiative, providing access to state-level support programs.

DPIIT Recognition

Registered with Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, enabling our startups to access central government benefits.

Funding Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge the support of the following funding programs that enable us to support startups:

Startup India Seed Fund Scheme
Maharashtra State Innovation Fund
BIRAC BIG Grant Partner
DST NIDHI Program
SIDBI Fund of Funds

Governance & Transparency

We are committed to transparent operations and good governance practices.

Board Meetings

Quarterly

The Board of Directors meets every quarter to review progress and provide strategic direction.

Governing Council

Monthly

The Governing Council meets monthly to oversee day-to-day operations and program decisions.

Observer Policy

Open

Stakeholders can attend board meetings as observers with prior registration.

Reports & Documents

Download our annual reports and audit documents for complete transparency.

Annual Report 2024-25

PDF2.4 MB

Annual Report 2023-24

PDF2.1 MB

CA Audit Report 2024-25

PDF1.8 MB

CA Audit Report 2023-24

PDF1.6 MB

Governing Council Minutes (Summary)

PDF0.5 MB