'Maharashtra Aims To Become India’s Growth Engine Beyond Mumbai,' Says Deputy CM Eknath Shinde

Maharashtra will not restrict its development ambitions to Mumbai but will work towards making the entire state a major growth engine for the country, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said on Tuesday.

Addressing the Economic Times Business Conclave and Awards 2026, Shinde urged citizens, entrepreneurs and industry leaders to become “change makers” in the rapidly evolving global economy. He said Maharashtra’s development strategy was aimed at creating a modern, sustainable and globally competitive state while ensuring that the benefits of growth reach ordinary citizens.

Focus on sustainable development

Shinde stressed the need to maintain a balance between economic development and environmental protection, particularly in view of the challenges posed by climate change. He said the state was focusing on flood control, coastal protection, increasing green cover, rainwater management, sustainable transportation and technology-driven urban planning.

Infrastructure driving economic growth

Highlighting Maharashtra’s infrastructure push, Shinde said projects such as Mumbai Metro, the Coastal Road, Samruddhi Expressway, airports, ports and logistics facilities were being developed not merely as infrastructure assets but as catalysts for industrial growth, employment and improved connectivity.

He said 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, were progressing rapidly. The MMR is also developing a 337-km Metro network, with the government focusing on integrating railways, roads, Metro services and waterways to create a seamless multimodal transport system.

Moving beyond Mumbai-centric growth

Shinde said the government was 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, he said.

Mumbai aims for global economic status

The Deputy Chief Minister also outlined the government’s vision of turning Mumbai and the MMR into a global economic centre. He said a comprehensive roadmap was being implemented to double Mumbai’s GDP, while investment proposals worth around Rs 4 lakh crore had been secured in the MMR. The region has the potential to develop into a $1.5 trillion economy, he said.

Affordable housing is another key component of the government’s development agenda, Shinde said. Under the new housing policy, the government has set a target of constructing 35 lakh houses for economically weaker and low-income groups by 2030. Efforts are also underway to make Mumbai slum-free through redevelopment and technology-based monitoring to prevent the emergence of new slums.

Inviting investors to Maharashtra, Shinde said the state economy was moving rapidly towards the $1 trillion mark and that an investor-friendly environment was being created. He said the government aimed to generate sufficient industries, investment and employment opportunities within Maharashtra so that young people would not have to leave the state in search of jobs.

“Developed Maharashtra is essential for a developed India,” Shinde said, adding that the government’s objective was to build a modern, sustainable and globally competitive Maharashtra that improves the quality of life of its people and creates opportunities for future generations.

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