Fadnavis invites global investors to take advantage of Maharashtra’s ‘business-friendly’ ecosystem

Mumbai, Oct 8 (PTI) Maharashtra’s Ease of Doing Business policy has made investment in the state highly profitable and seamless, said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday, urging global investors to take advantage of the "business-friendly" ecosystem.

Speaking at a meeting with a British delegation at the Taj Palace Hotel, Fadnavis said the government is committed to resolving investors’ issues promptly and creating an enabling environment across industrial, finance, education, urban development and technology sectors.

“Maharashtra is the most industry-friendly state in the country with robust connectivity and excellent infrastructure. Our partnership with leading global universities is producing highly skilled manpower,” the chief minister said.

Fadnavis said the Ease of Doing Business initiative has simplified the process of obtaining industrial permits. “A dedicated ‘war room’ has been set up to address investors’ concerns, and its progress is reviewed every month,” he said.

Drawing a parallel between London’s identity with the UK and Mumbai’s identity with India, Fadnavis said the Maharashtra capital remains the face of the country’s industrial strength. New opportunities are emerging with the implementation of the National Education Policy and the opening up of the education sector to foreign universities, he said.

An ‘Edu City’ is coming up in Navi Mumbai, which will host a campus of the University of London and accommodate 2,000 students, he said.

Infrastructure projects such as the Navi Mumbai International Airport, the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link and the proposed ‘Third Mumbai’ are driving urban growth, while the Vadhavan Port is being developed as a key industrial hub with a bullet train station and a green industrial zone, envisioned as the ‘Fourth Mumbai’, the CM said.

Fadnavis highlighted the state’s emergence as a national leader across key sectors.

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar is becoming an EV (electric vehicle) hub, Nagpur is developing as a solar module manufacturing centre, and Pune remains a major industrial powerhouse, he said, adding that Maharashtra also leads in startups and investments.

“With rapid infrastructure development, India has become an investor-friendly nation. Transparency in governance has improved significantly. Even street vendors have adopted digital payments, and India now leads the world in digital transactions, credit for which goes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he said.

The chief minister said that the state is committed to generating 50 per cent of its energy from renewable sources by 2030 and is actively promoting solar power. Special facilities for data centres, AI and quantum technology are being developed in Pune, while skill universities, in collaboration with global partners like HP, are training future-ready professionals, he said.

“Mumbai is the financial and fintech capital of India. We are working to further strengthen the partnership between the UK and India,” Fadnavis said. PTI MR NR