Maharashtra’s Development Journey Will Not Stop – Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde Assures the Legislative Council

New Industrial Revolution Underway in Maharashtra

Proceedings of the Legislative Council

Mumbai, February 2026:Putting an end to nearly four years of politics marked by obstruction, Maharashtra has now embarked on a fast track of progress. A new industrial revolution is taking shape in the state, and no one can halt Maharashtra’s pace of development. Maharashtra continues to rank number one in the country in industrial investment. The ongoing development journey of the state is clearly reflected in the Governor’s Address, and building a progressive, prosperous, and secure Maharashtra remains the primary objective of the state government. Assuring the Legislative Council, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that Maharashtra’s journey of development and public welfare will never stop.

He was replying to the discussion on the Governor’s Address in the Maharashtra Legislative Council. At the outset, he recalled the late leader Ajit Pawar, stating that the session was overshadowed by grief due to his demise and that Ajit Pawar had always practiced the politics of development.

Speaking on the state’s industrial progress, the Deputy Chief Minister said Maharashtra has emerged not only as the most preferred investment destination in India but also globally. The state remains number one in industrial investment and contributes 13.5 percent to the country’s total GDP. In 2024–25, Maharashtra received foreign direct investment worth ₹1,64,875 crore, accounting for as much as 39 percent of India’s total FDI.

In the first six months of the current financial year alone, investments worth ₹91,337 crore have flowed into Maharashtra, keeping the state at the top in foreign investment. At Davos, record-breaking Memorandums of Understanding worth around ₹30 lakh crore were signed with companies from 18 countries, of which 82 percent are already in the implementation stage. These investments will drive major projects in cutting-edge sectors such as quantum computing, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and green energy.

Highlighting infrastructure development, Deputy Chief Minister Shinde spoke about transformative projects reshaping Mumbai and the entire state. Asia’s largest Global Capability Center will be established in Mumbai, generating 45,000 jobs. The Vadhavan Port in Palghar, with three times the capacity of Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, will be a game-changer, attracting investments of ₹40 lakh crore and creating 50 lakh jobs. Projects like the Samruddhi Expressway, Coastal Road, and Atal Setu have significantly enhanced the state’s connectivity.

Industrial development has been decentralized beyond Mumbai–Pune. Investments worth ₹50,000 crore are coming to North Maharashtra, while Ahilyanagar district is set to receive ₹11,519 crore. Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar has emerged as the country’s first Smart Industrial City and is poised to become a major hub for future electric vehicle manufacturing.

Announcing initiatives for youth employment, the Deputy Chief Minister said that 2026 will be observed as the Year of Recruitment. Earlier, a drive was launched to fill 75,000 vacancies, and so far 85,363 candidates have been appointed out of 1,53,000 posts.

He emphasized that ample employment opportunities are being created in both government and private sectors, with a strong focus on making the recruitment process transparent and credible. To bring about transformative administrative reforms, the ambitious GPR 2.0 initiative has been launched, which has also been praised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Our government is working 24×7 in the service of the people. Maharashtra’s engine of progress has gained unstoppable momentum,” he asserted, reiterating that the state has been taken to new heights and its development journey will not be halted.

During the discussion on the Governor’s Address, members of the Legislative Council including Pravin Darekar, Bhai Jagtap, Idris Naikwadi, Eknath Khadse, Dadarav Keche, Abhijit Wanjari, Sunil Shinde, Dnyaneshwar Mhatre, Anil Parab, Chitra Wagh, Shashikant Shinde, Shivajirao Garje, Rajesh Rathod, Amit Gorkhe, Milind Narvekar, Arun Lad, Sanjay Khodke, Sudhakar Adbale, Uma Khapre, Amol Mitkari, Sadabhau Khot, Kiran Saranik, Sanjay Kenekar, Vikrant Patil, Mrs. Manisha Kayande, and Niranjan Davkhare expressed their views.