Mumbai:
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar announced in the national budget on Monday that at least seven international standard commercial centres will be established in Mumbai by 2047 to increase the city’s economy from the current $140 billion to $1.5 trillion.
Ajit Pawar, who raised the budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year of the state legislature, said the metropolitan area of Mumbai will be developed as a growth hub and an economic development hub for international standards.
He said the commercial center will be established in the Bandra-Kula Complex (BKC), the Kura-Wori region, Vadara, Gorgon, Navi Mumbai, Hargar and Viral-Isar regions.
The minister further stated that the state government has a 26% share of the Vadhavan Port, which is priced at Rs 762.2 crore.
He said the port’s annual cargo handling capacity is about 300 million tons, three times that of the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT).
“The Vadawan Port is expected to start operations in 2030,” Pawar said, adding that the third airport in Mumbai and the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Railway Station will be established near the port.
He said the port will also be connected to the Samruddhi motorway in Mumbai-style.
The state government will also announce a policy to provide economic incentives for modern and well-equipped ships to ensure safe travel from the portal of India to Mandewa and elephanta.
Mr Pawar said the metro project connecting Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport with Navi Mumbai International Airport will begin soon.
He said Ulway’s newly developed Navi Mumbai International Airport covers an area of 1,160 hectares and is capable of handling 90 million passengers and 2.6 million tons of cargo each year.
The minister said about 85% of the work was completed and the test flights were successfully conducted, adding that domestic flight operations were planned to begin in April.
Mr Pawar said the 64.4km subway line will be opened in the next fiscal year, with 41.2km of Mumbai and 23.2km of Pune and 237.5km subway line to operate over the next five years.
The Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport in Nagpur is being upgraded and modernized with private participation, which will increase passenger and cargo capabilities.
He said this will promote the economic development of Vidalba.
The government plans to start passenger service at Amravati Airport by the end of this month, while investigations and exploration work at the new airport in Gadchiroli are underway and funds will be provided for the expansion of Akola Airport.
(The story has not been edited by NDTV staff except the title and published from the joint feed.)
