Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday said he sought views of start-ups to manage the tomato supply chain as the price of the vegetable rises significantly during certain months. 

Tomato prices in the Delhi-NCR were high in July following a supply disruption from the producing centers owing to rain. 

"I am looking for ideas from some of you… how we can manage the tomato economy better because tomato prices went up to Rs 200 per kg," Goyal said at a startup event in Gurugram. 

In July, the Consumer Affairs Ministry also announced a Tomato Grand Challenge hackathon to invite innovative ideas at various levels of the tomato value chain to ensure the availability of tomatoes to consumers at affordable prices and help tomato farmers get value for the produce.  

The start-ups should come out with solutions both for elementary and "big" serious problems, Goyal said.  

The budding entrepreneurs would help in making India a developed country, the union minister added. 

Talking about start-ups, Goyal said the government is taking steps to strengthen the start-up ecosystem in India. 

The number of government-registered start-ups has increased to about 1.15 lakh at present from 450 in 2016. 

These start-ups are eligible for certain fiscal and non-fiscal incentives. 

The minister also said that artificial intelligence (AI) can be a game changer in the fight against poverty and taking services to the remotest part of the country. 

“AI is opening up new opportunities and India can take a quantum leap in that,” he added. 

The minister said that the government is coming out with a new innovation fund, and guidelines for the same will be released soon.