15 August,2026 10:54 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis said Maharashtra had emerged as a major destination for startups and investments, creating opportunities for young people. Pic/Screengrab
Maharashtra will play a key role in India's journey towards becoming a "Viksit Bharat", Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Saturday, highlighting the state's economic performance and its contribution to the country's development.
Speaking after hoisting the national flag at Mantralaya to mark the 80th Independence Day, Fadnavis said Maharashtra remained the country's largest economy and had recorded a growth rate of around 8.8 per cent in the first half of the year.
"Today, I am very happy that Maharashtra is the country's largest economy. This year too, in the first half, our growth rate is around 8.8 per cent," he said.
Fadnavis said the state government was working to ensure that economic development was spread across Maharashtra rather than being concentrated in a few regions.
The chief minister said the government was seeking to turn every district into a "growth engine" and ensure that the benefits of development reached people across the state.
"One of the efforts we are making is to ensure that every district becomes a growth engine. Around 13 districts have made significant progress in this direction. We are trying to ensure that development reaches the last person, whether it is Gadchiroli or Palghar," he added.
Fadnavis said Maharashtra's development journey was being pursued on the principles of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and in accordance with the Constitution given by Dr B R Ambedkar.
He described Maharashtra as an important contributor to India's overall development and said the state would continue to have a significant role in the country's economic progress.
Fadnavis said Maharashtra had emerged as a major destination for startups and investments, creating opportunities for young people.
"Maharashtra has become the country's startup capital. In the edu city coming up in the state, cutting-edge education will be provided. The highest investment is coming to Maharashtra. We are trying to ensure that the maximum employment opportunities are created for our youth," he said.
He said the government was also preparing targeted schemes for deprived sections of society to ensure that the benefits of economic development reached a wider section of the population.
The chief minister said Maharashtra would remain a major contributor to India's economic progress in the coming years.
Fadnavis said India had made significant progress during the 80 years since Independence and had emerged as the world's fourth-largest economy.
"Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India's journey over the last 12 years to become the world's fourth-largest economy is remarkable," he said.
According to Fadnavis, 25 crore people had been brought out of poverty, which he described as a "matter of satisfaction for all".
He said the concept of "Viksit Bharat" went beyond building a larger economy and should also result in improvements in the lives of people across social and economic groups.
"Viksit Bharat is not only about a developed economy. It is about bringing positive change, progress and improvement in the lives of every person in society- the poor, Dalits, tribals, farmers, farm labourers and women," he said, adding that progress of every section is the true essence of Viksit Bharat concept.
Fadnavis said Maharashtra would have a particularly important role in achieving the national development goal.
"If there is one state that will have the most important role in this concept of Viksit Bharat, it will be Maharashtra," he said.
The chief minister also highlighted initiatives aimed at supporting farmers, including the state's Rs 36,585-crore farm loan waiver scheme, which he said would benefit 56 lakh farmers.
Fadnavis said the government was also expanding access to daytime electricity for farmers.
"We had dreamt of giving daytime electricity to farmers. Today, we are giving daytime electricity to 76 per cent of farmers. In the next year, we will fulfil our resolve to provide daytime electricity to 100 per cent of farmers," he added.
He also spoke about efforts to reduce the impact of drought on future generations, pointing to river-linking projects being undertaken in parts of North and Western Maharashtra.
"We have seen drought on a large scale, but the coming generation should not see drought," he said.
Fadnavis said modern and world-class education, including the entry of foreign universities, was another area of focus for the state.
His remarks came against the backdrop of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day address, in which the Prime Minister outlined a seven-point reform framework, "Sapta Dhara", aimed at accelerating India's journey towards becoming a developed nation by 2047.
The framework focuses on manufacturing, agro-food production and food processing, technology and innovation, logistics, defence, the green and blue economy, and soft power.
Fadnavis also appealed to citizens to remain conscious of their constitutional duties while exercising their rights.
"Let us all citizens remain conscious of our duties and take a resolve today that our Tricolour will always fly high," he added.
