Pune: The state's new industrial policy includes steps to make Pune a centre of economic development. To this end, the defence manufacturing sector in Pune will be boosted. A defence corridor will be developed for Pune. Along with this, Pune will be developed into a hub for Global Capability Centres (GCCs).
The state government has announced a new industrial, investment, and services policy. Various initiatives for Pune were announced under this policy. To promote the aerospace and defence manufacturing ecosystem in the state, three defence corridors will be developed. These include the Pune, Ahilyanagar, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar corridor. The other two corridors are Nagpur, Wardha, Amravati, Savner, Nashik, and Dhule. These corridors have been selected due to their proximity to airports, ports, and other important infrastructure networks. This will accelerate the aerospace and defence manufacturing sector.
Pune has a large manufacturing base. Many national and international manufacturing companies operate in Pune. Testing and quality certification of their products will be done in Pune. This will reduce the time required for product testing for these industries. For this purpose, a National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) accredited testing and quality certification laboratory will be established. These laboratories will be set up in the state's major export clusters, and Pune has been selected for this.
In recent years, multinational companies have been setting up Global Capability Centres (GCCs) in Pune. The government aims to make Maharashtra a leading centre for GCCs internationally. For this, Mumbai and Pune will be promoted as GCC hubs. Under this initiative, the government will provide wage subsidies, tax concessions, research and development support, tax deductions, and incentives for capital investment. This will help further expand the GCC ecosystem in Pune in the coming years.
Innovation and Incubation Hub
An Innovation and Incubation Hub will be established to propel the state to the forefront globally in innovation and entrepreneurship. This centre will be built on approximately 100 acres of land in the Pune metropolitan area, or Navi Mumbai. Through this hub, support will be provided to startups, incubators, accelerators, and research and development centres in leading sectors such as artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, biotechnology, green energy, and smart manufacturing. The policy states that this hub will include innovation labs, tech parks, and collaborative office spaces.
Further Strengthening Pune's Position
Prashant Girbane, Director General of the Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA), told Loksatta, “The new industrial policy is important from Pune's perspective. Initiatives such as the Pune, Ahilyanagar, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar defence corridor, NABL-accredited laboratories for industries, and the GCC hub will boost the industrial ecosystem in the Pune region. These initiatives will increase the adoption of technology in industries. This will strengthen Pune's identity as a global hub for defence, innovation, and GCC centres.”
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