Maharashtra to Focus on Policy-Driven Development in the Coming Period: Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis

Advantage Vidarbha Conference 2026

Nagpur, Feb 2026 : Maharashtra will place strong emphasis on policy-driven development in the coming years, with the state government preparing to introduce a series of future-ready policies across key sectors within the next two to three months, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Friday.

Addressing the International Business Conclave on the second day of the Advantage Vidarbha–MP Industrial Festival, organized by the Association for Industrial Development (AID), the Chief Minister said that while several policies are already in place, some have become outdated. Keeping in mind future needs, changing global dynamics, and emerging challenges, the government will roll out new, forward-looking policies to accelerate industrial growth and investment.

The conclave was attended by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Global India Business Forum (GIBF) Global President Jitendra Joshi, AID President Ashish Kale, and ambassadors, high commissioners, and business representatives from 22 countries. Notably, three major investment Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were signed during the conference.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Fadnavis said Maharashtra is currently among the fastest-developing states in India, with the Vidarbha region witnessing particularly rapid progress. He emphasized that MoUs signed in Maharashtra are not merely symbolic but are being translated into projects on the ground. The state has emerged as a national leader in logistics, artificial intelligence, and the solar energy sector, and continues to attract the highest foreign direct investment (FDI) in the country.

The Chief Minister noted that the state government has recently announced several key policies, including the Global Capability Centres (GCC) Policy, Gems and Jewellery Policy, and Bamboo Policy, along with a new Industrial Policy. Building on this momentum, the government will announce seven additional sector-specific policies over the next two to three months.

These upcoming policies will cover Textiles and Apparel, Leather and Footwear, Electronics and Semiconductor Fabrication, Aerospace and Defence, MSMEs, Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology and Medical Devices, Circular Economy, and Bio-Plastics. The drafting of these policies is currently underway, and all are expected to be unveiled within the next three months. According to Fadnavis, these initiatives will make policy-led investment, industrial expansion, and economic growth the central pillars of Maharashtra’s development strategy.

Highlighting Vidarbha’s growing industrial footprint, the Chief Minister said that Nagpur is emerging as the country’s largest solar module manufacturing ecosystem, with substantial investments already committed and more in the pipeline. Alongside agriculture processing, several manufacturing sectors are expanding rapidly across Nagpur and the wider Vidarbha region, creating fresh investment opportunities.

He also drew attention to Gadchiroli, traditionally considered a backward region, which is now attracting significant industrial investment and is poised to emerge as India’s next major steel hub. Over the next decade, Gadchiroli is expected to develop the country’s largest steel production capacity. The state government is also taking concrete steps to develop Gadchiroli as an environment-friendly ‘Green Steel’ hub, aligning industrial growth with sustainability goals.

Chief Minister Fadnavis further revealed that the Adani Group has made a major investment in coal gasification, marking the first such project of its kind in India. This investment is expected to transform the coal ecosystem of Vidarbha. In addition, Maharashtra is witnessing large-scale investments in the electric vehicle (EV) sector, particularly in Pune, Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, and Nagpur.

In his introductory remarks, Ashish Kale, President of the Association for Industrial Development, said Vidarbha’s rapid development is the result of strong leadership by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. Jitendra Joshi, Global President of the Global India Business Forum, informed the gathering that GIBF has signed agreements with partners in 150 countries, which will significantly benefit MSMEs in Vidarbha by helping them expand their global business footprint.

MoUs Worth ₹10,831 Crore Signed on Day Two

On the second day of the Advantage Vidarbha–MP Industrial Festival, three major MoUs worth ₹10,831 crore were signed.

The first MoU was signed between MahaMetro and CARE Hospitals for the development of a multi-specialty hospital with over 350 beds near Kasturchand Park on MahaMetro land under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. The project will involve an investment of approximately ₹600 crore and is expected to generate 1,500 to 1,800 jobs.

The second MoU was signed with Galaxy Solar, which will invest ₹10,000 crore in the manufacturing of solar cells and battery storage systems, creating around 4,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities.

The third MoU was signed with GR Infrastructure, a telecom tower manufacturing company, which announced an investment of ₹200 crore, expected to generate approximately 500 jobs.

Details of the agreements were shared by the Chief Minister’s Economic Advisor Kaustubh Dhavse.