4 days ago
Maharashtra emerging as key destination of global investors: CM
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said that Maharashtra is not only cementing its position as India's leading industrial state but is also emerging as a key destination for global investors.
The chief minister was speaking at the event '2025 India Conference: Accelerating Growth, Maharashtra @ One Trillion' hosted by Bank of America at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai.
Highlighting the state's growing role in defence manufacturing, data infrastructure, and startup innovation, Fadnavis said Maharashtra is now prepared for the industries and innovations of the future.
The CM said that the Make in India initiative has significantly benefited Maharashtra. Citing the recent success of 'Operation Sindoor', he said it showcases India's evolving defence production capabilities, with Maharashtra emerging as the true epicentre of the country's defence manufacturing sector, despite the presence of industry clusters in states like Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
He pointed out that Maharashtra currently houses nearly 60 per cent of India's total data centre capacity, and Mumbai has become the fintech capital of the country.
The state is also becoming a magnet for startups, offering fertile ground for tech and innovation-driven enterprises.
'Global investors are seeking stable and secure environments to invest in, especially within global supply chains—and India is best placed to offer that,' Fadnavis said, adding that Maharashtra is fully geared to seize this opportunity.
The CM said that Maharashtra attracted over Rs 16 lakh crore in investments during the recent World Economic Forum at Davos. Over half of this is directed towards manufacturing, he said, reflecting the tangible impact of the Make in India policy on the ground.
Given the geographic limitations of coastal Mumbai, Fadnavis outlined the development of a 'Fourth Mumbai' around the Vadhavan Port region. The proposed city will be three times the size of existing urban zones, featuring themed developments such as edu-city (with 10 international universities),sports city, medicine city, knowledge city and innovation city. He said that going beyond Mumbai, Thane, and Pune, the government is accelerating industrialisation in tier-2 and tier-3 cities.
'Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar is being positioned as an EV manufacturing hub. Gadchiroli is set to become a new 'steel city' with over Rs 1 lakh crore in investments. Cities like Nagpur, Nashik and Dhule are witnessing large-scale investments in IT, manufacturing, and infrastructure,' he said
Fadnavis also introduced a three-stage administrative vision: immediate action plan – Maharashtra 2029; mid-term strategy – Maharashtra 2035; and long-term vision – Maharashtra 2047.
These plans will integrate emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) into governance and economic planning.
A new advanced cybersecurity centre is also in the pipeline to address growing cybercrime threats in a unified manner.
Concluding his address, Fadnavis reiterated that Maharashtra is not only chasing rapid industrial and infrastructure growth but is building a resilient, future-ready economy capable of supporting India's rise on the global stage.
