Mumbai, Aug 2026 : Under the leadership of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Maharashtra is witnessing significant momentum in green and sustainable development as it moves towards becoming a one-trillion-dollar economy. At the India State Climate Investment Forum (ISCIF) 2026 held earlier this year, investment commitments worth billions of rupees were announced for projects related to clean energy, green industries, carbon removal, clean fuels and agriculture in the state. These investments are expected to provide a major boost to green infrastructure, clean energy generation, sustainable agriculture and employment generation in the state.
Through a partnership between Mahapreit and Sugam-CSS, an announcement has been made to establish 100 solar-powered micro cold storage facilities in major fruit and vegetable-producing areas (clusters) of Maharashtra. In addition, through iKART and the iKART Rise Foundation, support is being provided to connect 50 micro cold storage facilities already established for farmer producer organisations and farmer groups in more than 10 areas of the state with markets. This will help reduce post-harvest losses of fruits and vegetables and increase farmers’ incomes.
In the clean energy sector, the summit generated interest in investments of up to approximately USD 50 million in agricultural solar energy and distributed solar projects. Further action has already been initiated with developers in Maharashtra under MSEDCL’s feeder solarisation programme as well as for other similar projects. For the electrification of freight and passenger transportation in cities across the state, CKers Finance, a specialised green financing institution, has expressed interest in providing financing of up to Rs 1 billion. This financing will be available for commercial electric three-wheelers and four-wheelers and will help promote clean transportation in the state.
An initial financing commitment of Rs 100 crore has been announced for rooftop solar energy and energy-efficiency projects for micro, small and medium enterprises. A partnership with Mahapreit has also been announced for this purpose. In the carbon removal sector, Varaha announced an initial investment of Rs 100 crore, with plans to increase it to Rs 1,000 crore over the next three years. Eighteen biomass gasification projects will be established in Vidarbha, creating the capacity to remove more than two million tonnes of carbon dioxide over a period of 15 years. An agreement has been signed with Microsoft for the purchase of more than 100,000 tonnes of carbon removal credits from the biochar carbon credits generated by these projects.
A white paper on potential projects related to nature-based solutions in Maharashtra, including biochar, agroforestry and increasing soil carbon, was presented at the Carbon Removals Investor Conclave held in the United Kingdom in May 2026. Following this, a discussion with a group of potential investors has been scheduled for September 22 on the sidelines of New York Climate Week 2026. A significant step has also been taken towards promoting Maharashtra as a major hub for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production. In this regard, a white paper has been prepared jointly by Ckinetics and Smart Freight Centre, and efforts are underway to establish the Maharashtra SAF Alliance. The alliance is expected to take concrete shape by the end of the current financial year.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has expressed confidence that the investment initiatives announced at the summit will not only attract large-scale capital investment in Maharashtra’s clean energy, green industries, carbon management, agricultural value chains and sustainable transportation sectors, but will also provide fresh momentum to the state’s green economy.
