Maharashtra Aims To Become India's Growth Engine

Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced that Maharashtra will strive to become a major growth engine for the country, extending its development ambitions beyond Mumbai.

Shinde made this statement while addressing the Economic Times Business Conclave and Awards 2026, where he urged citizens, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders to become 'change makers' in the rapidly evolving global economy.

The Deputy Chief Minister emphasized the need for a balance between economic development and environmental protection, particularly in the face of climate change challenges. He highlighted the state's focus on sustainable development, including flood control, coastal protection, increasing green cover, rainwater management, sustainable transportation, and technology-driven urban planning.

Maharashtra's infrastructure push is a key driver of economic growth, with projects such as the Mumbai Metro, Coastal Road, Samruddhi Expressway, airports, ports, and logistics facilities being developed to catalyze industrial growth, employment, and improved connectivity. Several major projects in Mumbai and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, including the Atal Setu, Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, Bullet Train, Metro-3, and Vadhavan Port, are progressing rapidly.

The government is working to move away from a Mumbai-centric development model by strengthening cities such as Nagpur, Pune, Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Thane, and Navi Mumbai, along with regions such as Vidarbha, Marathwada, Konkan, and western Maharashtra.

Industrial parks, IT zones, logistics hubs, Metro connectivity, and employment clusters are being developed in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities to create new investment and employment opportunities.

The Deputy Chief Minister also outlined the government's vision of turning Mumbai and the MMR into a global economic centre, with a comprehensive roadmap being implemented to double Mumbai's GDP. Investment proposals worth around Rs 4 lakh crore have been secured in the MMR, and the region has the potential to develop into a $1.5 trillion economy.

Affordable housing is another key component of the government's development agenda, with the government setting a target of constructing 35 lakh houses for economically weaker and low-income groups by 2030.

In conclusion, Maharashtra's development strategy is aimed at creating a modern, sustainable, and globally competitive state, ensuring that the benefits of growth reach ordinary citizens.

The state's efforts to move beyond a Mumbai-centric growth model and develop a comprehensive infrastructure network are expected to drive economic growth and make Maharashtra a major growth engine for the country.