Maharashtra Budget: CM announces geo-tech application centre, steps to boost digital ecosystem

Mumbai, Mar 6 (PTI) The Maharashtra government will set up a geo-technology application centre to support national-level initiatives and strengthen economic development through advanced technology, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Friday.

Presenting the state Budget for 2026-27 in the assembly, the CM said the proposed Maharashtra Geotechnology Application Centre will help efficiently plan and implement national-level initiatives and support the state's economic development.

The government aims to digitise all citizen and business services to ensure effective governance and create advanced technological infrastructure in the state, he said.

"The state government plans to computerise 100 per cent of land transactions, adopt a fully electronic office system and move towards paperless government functioning," he said.

The CM announced the creation of an independent Department of Electronics, Information Technology and Artificial Intelligence to ensure effective policymaking, faster decision-making and greater accountability, adding the department will be supported by a dedicated commissionerate equipped with adequate technical manpower.

The government has also signed letters of intent with global and national institutions such as OpenAI and Sarvam AI to strengthen the Information Technology and Artificial Intelligence ecosystem in the state, Fadnavis said.

In addition, memoranda of understanding have been signed with Indian Institute of Technology Bombay and BharatGen to promote research, innovation and development in emerging technologies, the CM said in his Budget speech.

"The state government plans to introduce special policies to develop Maharashtra as a world-class hub for frontier technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, quantum computing, drones, autonomous vehicles and deep technology. A cyber security policy aligned with the vision of Viksit Maharashtra 2047 will be implemented to make the state a secure, reliable and future-ready digital ecosystem," he said.

An advanced state data centre will also be set up in Nagpur to ensure the security of the state's sovereign data and applications, he added. PTI ND BNM