Pune: Industrial zones in the Mumbai and Pune area have been struggling with the problem of rising land costs for several years now. With prices touching Rs 15 crore to Rs 20 crore, Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) now plans to acquire land along the Mumbai-Pune Highway, announced CEO of MIDC P Velrasu on Tuesday while speaking at a private event in Pune.
Velrasu stated that while MIDC currently has 7,500 acres of land available, industries are prioritising only specific zones, leading to artificial scarcity. These zones include areas near Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Pune.
To counter this, MIDC plans to acquire 14,000 acres of land, including the Talegaon belt along the Pune-Mumbai Expressway, as well as land in Nagpur and Nashik. This acquisition will be aligned with the demand for industrial projects.
He further noted that a fund of Rs 300 crore has been set up for the state’s defence manufacturing sector to support startups, and the benefits are becoming visible. Maharashtra leads the country in data centres with a 55% share. Sectors like biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, robotics, and electronics manufacturing are also progressing rapidly.
Velrasu further said, “The government has taken steps to encourage women entrepreneurs. They are being given priority in plot allotment within Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise (MSME) parks, along with 20% additional financial incentives. Additionally, there are plans to build safe housing facilities for women in major industrial hubs like Chakan, Talegaon, and Thane, which will help increase the female workforce ratio.”
Velrasu also noted that investment agreements in the state have seen a massive surge over the last five years. In 2021, investment MoUs worth Rs 3 lakh crore were signed; now, that figure has reached Rs 30 lakh crore. Notably, 80% of the proposed investment in the state is Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). According to Velrasu, this reflects global confidence in the state’s industrial ecosystem.
MLA Siddharth Shirole Welcomes The Move
Speaking about this on X (formerly Twitter), Shivajinagar MLA Siddharth Shirole said, “During the recent Assembly session, I had urged the Government to create a dedicated and future-ready industrial strategy for the Pune–Mumbai Economic Corridor, including proactive land acquisition to address industrial land scarcity and accelerate investment flow.”
He expressed happiness and said that by unlocking premium industrial land along one of India’s most dynamic economic belts, Maharashtra is positioning itself to attract large-scale manufacturing, logistics, technology, and global investment. This will ease land constraints, strengthen supply chains, generate employment, and boost MSME participation across the region, said MLA Shirole.
A stronger Pune–Mumbai industrial corridor directly strengthens Maharashtra’s ambition to remain India’s leading economic engine -- and significantly enhances our contribution to the nation’s $5 trillion economy vision, noted MLA Shirole.
