Mumbai, May 29 (IANS) Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said that Maharashtra, which is strongly positioned to lead the Artificial Intelligence (AI) revolution, will spearhead development in this sector not only in India but globally in the near future.

This is due to Mumbai’s financial prowess, technological expertise, robust start-up ecosystem, and readiness to adopt emerging technologies.

The Chief Minister made these remarks during an interview at the inauguration of ‘Mumbai Tech Week 2026’.

Highlighting the state government’s ambitious targets, CM Fadnavis revealed that Maharashtra has set a goal to secure Rs 10,000 crore in AI investments, generate 1.5 lakh jobs, establish six ‘Centres of Excellence’, and set up dedicated ‘AI Innovation Zones’.

To accelerate research and innovation in the AI sector, the state government is building a ‘Compute-as-a-Service’ infrastructure facility. Under this initiative, 2,000 GPUs will be made available to start-ups and researchers.

“Innovation stalls when high-capacity computing infrastructure is unaffordable. Therefore, the Government of Maharashtra is directly providing the necessary infrastructure,” the Chief Minister explained.

He further emphasised that while governments can only formulate policy frameworks, the real start-up ecosystem is forged by founders and entrepreneurs.

Recalling that the concept of an association of tech entrepreneurs was first proposed in December 2022, he noted that the energy and vision of its members at the time gave him full confidence that the initiative would grow into something monumental.

“Today, an increasing number of founders, investors, and global corporations are aligning with Maharashtra each year. Consequently, Maharashtra has consistently ranked as the leading state in the country for investments and start-up volume for three consecutive years,” he said.

Extending an open invitation to start-ups and tech companies from across India and abroad participating in Mumbai Tech Week, the Chief Minister urged them to invest in the state.

He remarked that this is the best era for those working in technology and AI, and Maharashtra is the ideal battleground. A highly capable ecosystem is already in place here. He urged innovators to work for Maharashtra, work for India, and innovate for the entire world.

Assuring full institutional support, CM Fadnavis stated that the state government’s role is not confined to incubation and acceleration alone.

Through its ‘Fund of Funds’, the government is actively providing investment assistance. The administration stands ready to support entrepreneurs as a committed partner.

Detailing the increasing integration of AI across various state government departments, the Chief Minister highlighted the ‘Maha-Vistar’ farmers’ app.

Describing it as a ‘one-stop solution’ for farmers, he noted that the Central Government recognised it as the country’s best agricultural technology solution at the India AI Summit.

Following its success, an ‘India-Vistar’ framework is now being developed at the national level.

Furthermore, the implementation of AI-based systems in building permission clearance processes will enhance transparency and efficiency.

Referring to the ‘Crime OS’ platform developed for criminal investigation and judicial processes, Chief Minister Fadnavis noted that this system will drastically expedite investigations, charge-sheet filings, and court proceedings.

“Compiling a 15,000-page charge-sheet previously took three to four months; with AI, it can now be completed in 10 to 12 days,” he said.

AI is also being effectively utilised in detecting fraud in medical insurance schemes, improving human resource management within the government via the HR Stack, managing traffic control, handling disaster response, and strengthening surveillance networks.

The state government has set a target to develop 50 specialised AI engines for various departments, he stated.

Addressing concerns surrounding data security, trust, and the rapid rise of deepfakes, CM Fadnavis asserted that “Ethical AI” remains the core philosophy of the state’s policy.

He emphasised that AI must be democratised and accessible to all rather than remaining a privilege of large corporations.

Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) must also benefit from it, ensuring that human intervention and core human values remain central to AI development.

–IANS

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