CM Devendra Fadnavis Invites UK Investors as Maharashtra Launches...
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis urged United Kingdom business leaders to invest in the state, highlighting its robust ecosystem combining...
By GT24x7 Reporter··GlobalToday24x7
CM Devendra Fadnavis Calls on UK Enterprises to Leverage Maharashtra's Industrial Ecosystem
MUMBAI — Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, made a compelling pitch to United Kingdom investors and institutional delegates to expand their commercial presence in Maharashtra, emphasizing the state's status as India's premier destination for foreign direct investment. Speaking at the high-level 'Maharashtra-UK Partnership Launch' event held at the Hotel Taj Palace in Mumbai, Fadnavis highlighted Maharashtra's unique industrial environment that seamlessly integrates workforce skills, capital availability, and advanced technological innovation.
Addressing a delegation led by the UK Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science, and Trade, Jonathan Reynolds, Chief Minister Fadnavis affirmed that the state government is committed to expediting project execution. He assured investors that the state’s dedicated facilitation portal, 'Invest Maharashtra', will act as a single-window coordination hub across all statutory departments to resolve administrative queries and accelerate operational timelines.
Bilateral Agreements Exchange and Strategic Focus Areas
The bilateral engagement witnessed the formal exchange of several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) across key growth sectors following bilateral discussions between high-level teams. Chief Minister Fadnavis noted that the visit of the UK delegation—comprising secretaries, city mayors, and trade officials—transcended formal diplomatic routine, directly aiming to convert bilateral economic ambitions into tangible commercial contracts and investment ventures.
Prominent dignitaries in attendance included Maharashtra Protocol Minister Jaykumar Rawal, Principal Secretary of the Industries Department P. Anbalagan, Investment Advisor to the Chief Minister Kaustubh Dhavse, alongside UK Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds and international corporate representatives. The discussions covered key avenues in clean energy, green transition, automotive engineering, digital technology, global capability centers (GCCs), and academic collaborations.
Industrial Centers, Academic Partnerships, and Urban Innovation Clusters
Reiterating the economic strengths of the state, Fadnavis emphasized that Mumbai continues to serve as the international financial gateway connecting domestic entrepreneurship to global capital markets, while Pune has solidified its position as an engineering, automotive, and information technology hub. Under the framework of the National Education Policy (NEP), foreign educational institutions are establishing physical campuses in Maharashtra, with global universities such as the University of Bristol, University of York, and University of Aberdeen initiating operational expansions.
Fadnavis expressed confidence that specialized state projects—including 'EduCity', 'MediCity', and 'AI Innovation City'—will consolidate world-class talent and research capabilities. Highlighting clean energy prospects, he outlined immense opportunities in industrial carbon emission reduction, energy efficiency, and resource recycling, pledging state support for global capability centers setting up operations in Maharashtra.
Mutual Economic Benefits and UK Trade Secretary’s Assessment
Highlighting the bilateral nature of the partnership, Chief Minister Fadnavis stated that the agreement opens up new market avenues in the United Kingdom for local manufacturers, food processing enterprises, tech firms, and small and medium-sized businesses across Maharashtra.
Endorsing Maharashtra’s investment climate, UK Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds stated that for British companies seeking entry into the Indian market, Maharashtra represents the most natural and suitable destination. Reynolds observed that Maharashtra’s economy exceeds that of European nations like Norway, expressing optimism that the delegation's tour would deliver concrete operational success and measura...