The Maharashtra government has launched Invest Maharashtra, a new investment promotion and facilitation platform that brings together 67 proposed memorandums of understanding involving more than Rs 8.5 lakh crore in investment and the potential creation of over three lakh direct and indirect jobs.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said at the launch that the platform would work to make Maharashtra a major investment destination in India and globally. He described Invest Maharashtra as a step towards the state’s goal of becoming India’s first US$1 trillion economy by 2030.
The proposed investments cover data centres, semiconductors, renewable energy, advanced manufacturing, aerospace, defence, healthcare and agro-processing. The government said projects would be proposed across Chandrapur, Wardha, Nagpur, Gondia, Nashik, Jalgaon, Dhule, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalna, Pune, Ahilyanagar, Ratnagiri, Palghar and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
Fadnavis said the government would coordinate the provision of land, electricity, infrastructure, approvals and skilled manpower after an investor selects a project. Under the platform’s “Made for Business” approach, he said officials would be expected to recognise the time-sensitive nature of investment decisions, take responsibility for resolving industrial problems and remain involved until projects expand.
The chief minister also urged large companies to include local small and medium enterprises in their supply chains, work with institutions to train young people and support the expansion of local businesses. He said the benefits of the proposed investments should reach local industries, workers, young people and farmers rather than remain limited to large companies.
The launch also included an update on planned urban development in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Fadnavis said the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority had completed the process for the proposed use of approximately 2,100 square kilometres linked to the development of Mumbai-3 and Mumbai-4. He said the work would provide a foundation for the planned development of the two cities.
Industry Minister Uday Samant said the industry department would provide assistance to investors and use the MAITRI mechanism to address their difficulties through a simplified and supportive process. Principal Secretary of Industries P. Anbalagan said Invest Maharashtra would function as the state’s leading industrial investment promotion and facilitation institution, bringing investor promotion, facilitation, global partnerships, research, analysis and investor relationship management onto one platform.
The government also linked the initiative to water security in areas affected by low rainfall. Fadnavis called on industry to support water conservation, efficient irrigation and wastewater reuse through research and engineering expertise, while also contributing to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. The proposed agreements and their implementation will determine how much of the announced investment and employment potential materialises.
