How to Set Up a Private Skills University in Maharashtra
A sourced 2026 guide to establishing a greenfield, self-financed skills university in Maharashtra under the Maharashtra Private Skills Universities (Establishment and Regulation) Act, 2024. This page covers the legal route, promoter eligibility, statutory requirements, the University Grants Commission (UGC) and National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) recognition pathway, alignment to the National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF), and the skills universities already operating in the state.
Maharashtra has built a dedicated legal framework for skills-focused higher education. A greenfield promoter no longer needs a separate, individually negotiated act of the state legislature for each institution. The state now offers an omnibus route through the Maharashtra Private Skills Universities (Establishment and Regulation) Act, 2024 (Maharashtra Act No. XXXV of 2024), which received the Governor's assent and was published in the Maharashtra Government Gazette on 7 August 2024 and was brought into force on 9 October 2024.
This is the correct vehicle for a self-financed, industry-linked, competency-based university that awards degrees, diplomas, and certificates aligned to the NSQF. It sits alongside, but is distinct from, the general private university route under the Maharashtra Private Universities (Establishment and Regulation) Act, 2023. Below, we set out what the law actually requires, what it deliberately leaves to a Government order, and the precedents already operating in the state, so that promoters can plan with sourced facts rather than assumptions.
A note on the route for greenfield promoters. A new, purpose-built skills institution is best established as a state private skills university under the 2024 Act. The Deemed-to-be University route under Section 3 of the UGC Act is generally available only to existing institutions with a multi-year track record, and is not a practical path for a greenfield project. For a comparison of the deemed route, see our note on the Deemed University (Distinct Category) pathway.
Two State Routes: Skills University vs General Private University
Maharashtra runs two parallel self-financed university statutes. A skills-anchored institution belongs under the 2024 Skills Universities Act; a conventional multi-disciplinary university belongs under the 2023 Private Universities Act.
| Dimension | Private Skills University | General Private University |
|---|---|---|
| Governing statute | Maharashtra Private Skills Universities (Establishment and Regulation) Act, 2024 (Maharashtra Act No. XXXV of 2024), in force 9 October 2024. | Maharashtra Private Universities (Establishment and Regulation) Act, 2023 (Maharashtra Act No. VIII of 2024), assented 19 January 2024. |
| Core mandate | Vocational, technical, and skills-based education aligned to the National Skills Qualifications Framework, with strong industry linkage. | Conventional multi-disciplinary higher education across the arts, sciences, professions, and research. |
| Award powers | Degrees, post-graduate degrees, Doctorate of Philosophy and research degrees, diplomas, certificates, and other academic distinctions. | Degrees, post-graduate degrees, doctoral and research degrees, diplomas, and certificates across disciplines. |
| Funding model | Self-financed. No financial assistance of any nature from the State Government; students cannot claim State scholarships or fee reimbursement. | Self-financed. Established and run on private capital, fees, and endowment, without recurring State grants. |
| Land tenure | Ownership required. Section 5(1)(ii) requires title deeds showing that the sponsoring body owns and is in possession of the minimum land. There is no leasehold option on this route. | Ownership or a long lease. Section 5(1)(b), as substituted in 2025, allows the sponsoring body either to own the minimum land or to hold it on leasehold for a minimum period of thirty years. |
| Statutory clock after the Letter of Intent | The Compliance Report is due within a maximum of one year from the date of issue of the Letter of Intent (Section 5(2)), extendable only in exceptional circumstances, by order, on payment of a fee. The Verification Committee reports within one month from the date of its visit to the proposed university, extendable to a maximum of three months (Section 5(4)). | The Compliance Report is due within a maximum of one year from the date of issue of the Letter of Intent (Section 5(2)), on the same terms. The Verification Committee reports within one month from the date of its appointment, extendable to a maximum of three months (Section 5(4)). |
| Establishment route | Omnibus framework: new skills universities are established under the single 2024 Act. The earlier model of a separate standalone act per university has been consolidated. | Omnibus framework: the 2023 Act consolidated the earlier individual standalone private-university acts into one statute. |
| Best fit for | A greenfield, industry-partnered institution focused on employability, applied programmes, and skilling at scale. | A broad, research-oriented or liberal multi-disciplinary university. |
On the older framework. Before these omnibus acts, Maharashtra created each private university, including each skills university, through its own dedicated act of the state legislature. The 2023 and 2024 acts consolidated that approach: their respective repeal-and-savings provisions repealed the earlier individual standalone university acts. New promoters should therefore work within the 2024 omnibus Skills Universities Act rather than seek a fresh standalone act.
Promoter and Sponsoring Body Eligibility
The Act requires a not-for-profit sponsoring body. A greenfield promoter establishes or uses one of three eligible legal vehicles.
Registered Society
A society registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, with educational objects.
Public Trust
A public trust registered under the Maharashtra Public Trusts Act, 1950.
Section 8 Company
A not-for-profit company under Section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013 (formerly Section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956).
Greenfield Friendly
No prior institution or multi-year track record is required, which makes this route suitable for first-time, greenfield promoters.
What the 2024 Act Requires
The Act sets the framework and obligations. Notably, it defers the specific land, built-up area, and endowment figures to a Government order rather than fixing them in the statute itself.
Endowment Fund
The sponsoring body must create a permanent statutory Endowment Fund for the university. The fund acts as a security deposit and must be invested as a fixed deposit in a Nationalized Bank, with the Director, Directorate of Vocational Education and Training as joint holder.
- Amount: the Act specifies that the amount is to be fixed by a Government order, not in the statute. Confirm the current figure from the applicable Government order or rules before planning capital.
- Purpose: it stands as a financial guarantee of the institution's continuity and obligations.
Land and Built-up Space
The sponsoring body must own and possess land, evidenced by title deeds, and must construct covered space for the university. Ownership is the operative word: unlike the general private university route, which permits a lease of at least thirty years, the skills university route carries no leasehold option. Promoters intending to lease a site rather than buy it should test that against the route choice early.
- Minimum land: as per the norms specified by a Government order under the Act.
- Covered space: built-up area as per the norms specified by a Government order.
- Plan with care: because these thresholds live in a Government order rather than the Act, they should be confirmed against the current order before site acquisition.
Self-Financed Model
A university established under the Act is self-financed. It is not entitled to any financial assistance of any nature from the State Government, and students admitted to it cannot claim financial assistance, scholarship, or fee reimbursement from the State Government.
- Implication: the financial model must stand on fees, private capital, and endowment income.
- Reservations: the university must adopt the State Government's reservation policy for admissions across the notified categories. Because the State does not reimburse these fees, the financial model must absorb the reserved-seat economics.
Award and Academic Powers
The Act empowers the university to institute and confer its qualifications.
- Qualifications: degrees, post-graduate degrees, Doctorate of Philosophy and research degrees, diplomas, certificates, and other academic distinctions.
- Orientation: programmes are designed for skilling and employability, anchored in competency-based outcomes.
Why the deferred figures matter. Commentary and older reporting sometimes quote specific land areas and a fixed corpus amount for Maharashtra skills universities. Those figures are not set in the 2024 Act itself; the Act delegates them to a Government order. We therefore recommend confirming land, built-up area, and endowment thresholds against the current Government order or rules, and we track those instruments as part of every engagement.
The UGC and NCVET Recognition Pathway
A skills university established by a state act is degree-eligible and listed by the UGC; its vocational qualifications align to the national skills framework.
UGC Recognition
- Degree power (Section 22): under the University Grants Commission Act, 1956, only a university established by or under a Central, Provincial, or State Act, a Section 3 deemed university, or an institution empowered by an Act of Parliament may confer degrees. A skills university established under the Maharashtra 2024 Act is therefore degree-eligible.
- Listing (Section 2(f)): a university established by a State Act is eligible for inclusion in the UGC's maintained list of universities under Section 2(f). This listing follows a UGC process rather than being automatic.
Skills Regulation: NCVET and NSQF
- NCVET: the National Council for Vocational Education and Training is the national regulator for vocational education and training. It recognizes and regulates awarding bodies, assessment agencies, and skill information providers, and administers the national skills framework.
- NSQF: the National Skills Qualifications Framework is an outcome and competency-based framework (notified in 2013 and revised in 2023) to which skills university programmes are aligned. It is organized by levels of knowledge, skill, and responsibility.
The Establishment Process, Step by Step
An indicative sequence for a greenfield skills university under the 2024 Act. Exact particulars and timelines follow the Act and the applicable Government order or rules, which we confirm at the outset of an engagement.
Constitute the sponsoring body
Establish or use an eligible sponsoring body: a registered society, a public trust, or a Section 8 company with educational objects.
Secure land and plan covered space
Acquire and hold clear title to land, and plan the covered built-up area to the norms in the applicable Government order under the Act.
Commission the feasibility study and Detailed Project Report
Prepare the vision, an NSQF-aligned academic plan, the governance structure, an infrastructure master plan, and a self-financed financial model that lenders and the State can scrutinize.
Submit the application to the State Government
File the application with title deeds, the project report, and the particulars prescribed under the Act.
Scrutiny Committee review and Letter of Intent
A State-appointed Scrutiny Committee examines the proposal. If the Government is satisfied that it is advisable to establish the university, it issues a Letter of Intent (LoI) setting out the conditions the sponsoring body must fulfil before establishment. Note that the Act sets no time limit on this stage: Section 4(3) requires the Committee to submit its report but fixes no period for it, and issuance of the LoI rests on the Government's satisfaction. Plan for it as an open-ended stage.
Fulfil the LoI conditions and constitute the Endowment Fund
Complete the land and infrastructure and establish the permanent Endowment Fund as a fixed deposit in a Nationalized Bank, with the Director, Directorate of Vocational Education and Training as joint holder, in the amount specified by the Government order. Section 5(2) allows a maximum of one year from the date of issue of the LoI to report compliance, extendable only in exceptional circumstances, by order, on payment of a fee. This is the binding construction and funding deadline for the whole project.
Compliance Report and Verification Committee
Submit a Compliance Report to the Government. The Government appoints a Verification Committee, which physically inspects the campus and verifies the report against the LoI conditions. Under Section 5(4) the Committee submits its report within one month from the date of its visit, which the Government may extend to a maximum of three months. If the sponsoring body fails to comply with the LoI conditions, Section 5(5) provides that the proposal stands rejected and the Letter of Intent is deemed to have been withdrawn.
Establishment by amending the Schedule
On a satisfactory verification report, the university is formally established by including its name and location in Part II of the Schedule of the 2024 Act, through an amending law.
Recognition, governance, and commencement
Secure inclusion in the UGC list under Section 2(f), align programmes to the National Skills Qualifications Framework and NCVET norms, constitute the statutory governance bodies, recruit faculty, and commence academic operations.
How Long It Takes: What the Act Clocks, and What It Does Not
The 2024 Act is precise about timing after the Letter of Intent and silent about timing before it. Understanding which stages carry a statutory deadline, and which do not, is the difference between a project plan that holds and one that does not.
| Stage | What the Act prescribes | Provision |
|---|---|---|
| Preparing the application and the Detailed Project Report | Promoter-controlled, no statutory period. The Detailed Project Report is filed with the application, not after it, so the feasibility work, the academic plan, the financial model, and clear land title all have to be complete before the clock starts anywhere. | Section 4(1) |
| Scrutiny Committee review and issue of the Letter of Intent | No time limit is prescribed. The Scrutiny Committee is required to submit its report to the Government for consideration, but the Act fixes no period for it, and the decision to issue a Letter of Intent rests on the Government being satisfied that establishment is advisable. This is the single largest source of schedule uncertainty in the entire process. | Sections 4(3) and 5(1) |
| Letter of Intent to Compliance Report | A maximum of one year from the date of issue of the Letter of Intent. The Government may extend this in exceptional circumstances, by an order, on payment of such fees as may be specified. Land, covered space, the Endowment Fund, and every other LoI condition must be delivered inside this window. | Section 5(2) |
| Consequence of missing that deadline | The proposal stands rejected and the Letter of Intent is deemed to have been withdrawn. There is no partial credit and no automatic second window. This is the highest-consequence date in the project. | Section 5(5) |
| Verification Committee report | Within one month from the date of its visit to the proposed skills university, which the Government may extend to a maximum of three months. | Section 5(4) |
| Formal establishment | No statutory period. On a satisfactory verification report, the university is established by including its name, location, and sponsoring body in Part II of the Schedule by amending the Schedule through an enacted law. This step is gated on a sitting of the State legislature rather than on an administrative decision, which is a structural constraint worth building into any launch plan. | Section 6(1) |
| Approval of the First Statutes | The Government is to consider the First Statutes submitted by the university and give its approval, with such modifications as it considers necessary, within four months from the date of receipt. | Section 36(3) |
| Accreditation after establishment | The university is to obtain accreditation from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) within five years of its establishment, inform the Government and the relevant regulatory bodies of the grade awarded, and renew that accreditation every five years thereafter. | Section 47 |
How to read this. The Act binds the promoter tightly and the Government loosely. Everything after the Letter of Intent runs on a hard twelve-month clock with rejection as the penalty for overrun, while everything before it is open-ended and discretionary. Two planning consequences follow. First, the pre-LoI stage cannot be compressed by working harder, so the quality and completeness of the Detailed Project Report at first submission is the main lever a promoter actually controls. Second, the one-year post-LoI window is a construction, funding, and endowment deadline rather than a target, and land, approvals, and committed capital should be in place before the Letter of Intent is sought, not after it. A promoter who treats the LoI as the starting gun rather than the halfway mark is the one most likely to lose the proposal under Section 5(5).
Skills Universities Already Operating in Maharashtra
Maharashtra already hosts established skills universities, each created under state legislation. These precedents show the model is proven and the path is navigable.
Symbiosis Skills and Professional University
Established by the Symbiosis Skills and Professional University Act, 2017 (Maharashtra Act No. XXXVII of 2017), originally as Symbiosis Skills and Open University and renamed in 2020. Its statutory headquarters is at Kiwale, in the Pimpri-Chinchwad area off the Pune-Mumbai Expressway (Source: Part I of the Schedule to the Maharashtra Private Skills Universities Act, 2024). The university describes its campus as spanning 15 acres, and describes itself as Maharashtra's first skill-development university (Source: Symbiosis Skills and Professional University, 2026).
Atlas SkillTech University
Established under Maharashtra Act No. XV of 2021, located off the Bandra-Kurla Complex in Kurla West, Mumbai. Programmes span design, management, technology, and law. Accredited by NAAC with an 'A' grade at a score of 3.04 in its first accreditation cycle, declared on 08 Aug 25 (Source: National Assessment and Accreditation Council, list of institutions holding valid accreditation as on 14 Aug 25). NAAC accreditation runs for a fixed cycle and lapses on expiry, so confirm the current position before relying on it.
Universal SkillTech University
Established by the Universal SkillTech University, Vasai Act, 2023 (gazetted as Maharashtra Act No. XIV of 2024), sponsored by the Vidya Vikas Education Trust. A self-financed skills university located at Vasai.
ITM Skills University
Established by the ITM Skills University, Navi Mumbai Act, 2022 (gazetted as Maharashtra Act No. X of 2023), located at Kharghar, Navi Mumbai. It appears in the UGC's state-wise list of State (Private) Universities against a notification date of 22 Mar 23 (Source: University Grants Commission, state-wise list of State (Private) Universities as on 17 Jan 24). Programmes span engineering, management, and design. Now governed under the 2024 omnibus Act following the Section 58 consolidation.
G.H. Raisoni Skill Tech University
Established by the G.H. Raisoni Skill Tech University, Nagpur Act, 2023 (gazetted as Maharashtra Act No. X of 2024), with its statutory headquarters off the Hingna-Wadi Link Road, Nagpur (Source: Part I of the Schedule to the Maharashtra Private Skills Universities Act, 2024). Skill-oriented programmes span engineering, management, science, pharmacy, hospitality, and law. Now governed under the 2024 omnibus Act.
G.H. Raisoni International Skill Tech University
Established by the G.H. Raisoni International Skill Tech University, Pune Act, 2023 (gazetted as Maharashtra Act No. IX of 2024), with its statutory headquarters at Kedgaon, Daund, in Pune district (Source: Part I of the Schedule to the Maharashtra Private Skills Universities Act, 2024, which reproduces the address given in Section 3(5) of the establishing Act). A multidisciplinary skill-tech university spanning engineering, design, healthcare, law, management, and sciences. Now governed under the 2024 omnibus Act.
Pasha Patel SkillTech University, Lodga
Added to Part II of the Schedule by the Maharashtra Private Skills Universities (Establishment and Regulation) (Amendment) Act, 2026 (Maharashtra Act No. XXIII of 2026). Located at Phoenix Educational Campus, Taluka Ausa, District Latur. Sponsored by Phoenix Foundation Sanstha, a society registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.
FUEL Skill Tech and Entrepreneurship University
Added to Part II of the Schedule by the same 2026 amendment (Maharashtra Act No. XXIII of 2026). Located at Bhugaon, Paud Road, Pune. Sponsored by FUEL (Friends Union for Energising Lives), a public trust registered under the Maharashtra Public Trusts Act, 1950.
What the DPR for a Skills University Must Cover
The application and the financing both stand or fall on the project report. A bankable, regulator-ready Detailed Project Report (DPR) for a skills university covers the following.
- Regulatory roadmap: the 2024 Skills Universities Act requirements, the current Government order thresholds for land, built-up area, and endowment, and the UGC Section 2(f) and NCVET recognition pathway.
- NSQF-aligned academic architecture: a programme portfolio mapped to skills framework levels, with clear progression from certificate to diploma to degree, and industry-validated curricula.
- Industry linkage model: employer partnerships, apprenticeship and on-the-job training design, and placement pathways that anchor an employability-first institution.
- Infrastructure master plan: a phase-wise campus plan with workshops, labs, and skilling infrastructure designed to the applicable norms.
- Governance framework: the statutory bodies, the sponsoring-body structure, and the Endowment Fund mechanism.
- Self-financed financial model: a multi-year model built on fees, private capital, and endowment income, with student ramp-up, faculty ratios, capex phasing, debt servicing, and scenario analysis, structured for banks and trust boards.
- Risk and compliance register: a clear view of the deferred-to-order figures, approval dependencies, and the mitigations that keep the project on schedule.
Planning a Skills University in Maharashtra?
RAYSolute prepares feasibility studies and bankable, regulator-ready Detailed Project Reports for skills universities and private universities. Let us map your route under the 2024 Act, confirm the current Government order thresholds, and build the project report your board and your bank will trust.
Or call +91-98913-21279
Skills University in Maharashtra: Common Questions
How This Page Is Sourced
The regulatory statements on this page are grounded in primary legislation and official regulators. Figures deferred by the Act to a Government order are flagged as such rather than stated as fixed numbers.
- The Maharashtra Private Skills Universities (Establishment and Regulation) Act, 2024 (Maharashtra Act No. XXXV of 2024), gazette text via PRS Legislative Research, consolidated with the amendment appended to it, the Maharashtra Private Skills Universities (Establishment and Regulation) (Amendment) Act, 2026 (Maharashtra Act No. XXIII of 2026, assented 20 May 2026), which inserted two universities into Part II of the Schedule. prsindia.org
- The Maharashtra Private Universities (Establishment and Regulation) Act, 2023 (Maharashtra Act No. VIII of 2024), gazette text via PRS Legislative Research, consolidated with its appended amendments, including Maharashtra Act No. XV of 2025, which substituted Section 5(1)(b) to permit land held on leasehold for a minimum period of thirty years on the general private university route. prsindia.org
- The Universal SkillTech University, Vasai Act, 2023 (Maharashtra Act No. XIV of 2024), gazette text via PRS Legislative Research. prsindia.org
- University Grants Commission Act, 1956, Sections 2(f) and 22 (definition of University, and the right to confer degrees). University Grants Commission. ugc.gov.in
- National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) and the National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF), official portal. ncvet.gov.in
- University Grants Commission, state-wise list of State (Private) Universities as on 17 Jan 24, used for the recognition status of individual universities named on this page. ugc.gov.in
- National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), list of institutions holding valid accreditation as on 14 Aug 25, used for accreditation grade, score, cycle, and date of declaration. naac.gov.in
- Symbiosis Skills and Professional University, Pune, institutional profile. sspu.ac.in
- Atlas SkillTech University, Mumbai, institutional profile. atlasuniversity.edu.in
Verification note. Specific land, built-up area, and endowment figures are set by Government order under the Act, not by the Act itself, and can change. Treat them as items to confirm against the current order before committing capital. This page is a general guide and is not legal advice; we confirm the live position for each engagement.
