Maharashtra Accelerates Data Centre Hub Development, Assigns Officials for Project Monitoring
The Maharashtra government is accelerating efforts to position the state as a leading data centre hub. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has directed officials to fast-track approvals and implementation of projects linked to investment agreements signed at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland.
A review meeting held in Mumbai on Friday examined the status of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) signed at Davos, as well as ongoing data centre proposals under the state’s Information Technology and Support Services Policy and the Integrated Green Data Centre Park Policy-2024. The meeting was attended by senior officials, including Minister of State Madhuri Misal, Additional Chief Secretary (Energy) Abha Shukla, Industries Principal Secretary Dr. P Anbalagan, Metropolitan Commissioner Dr. Sanjay Mukherjee, Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) Chief Executive Officer P Velarasu, and CIDCO Managing Director Vijay Singhal, according to an official release.
As part of the implementation strategy, the state government will assign 10 senior officers to monitor 10 major projects each, with the objective of ensuring completion within defined timelines. The Chief Minister emphasised that administrative departments should proactively complete land allotment, environmental clearances, building approvals, and other regulatory permissions within a three-month timeframe, without waiting for companies to follow up.
He noted that Maharashtra’s data centre projects are currently in the “investment in progress” stage and are expected to attract significant capital inflows. According to him, the availability of power and water in the state provides a competitive advantage for large-scale digital infrastructure projects, and therefore emphasis must be placed on simplifying procedures and expanding land availability to ensure timely execution.
Fadnavis said Navi Mumbai is emerging as the primary data centre hub in the state, with major facilities coming up in Mahape and adjoining areas. He added that Khalapur is being planned as the third major data centre cluster, while infrastructure expansion in the Panvel region is also being prioritised to support future demand.
The state government is simultaneously pushing investments across manufacturing and services sectors, including electronics, semiconductor chips, aerospace, textiles, automobiles, and defence manufacturing. In the services segment, priority is being given to data centres, information technology and IT-enabled services (ITeS), fintech, and global capability centres (GCCs), in line with Maharashtra’s broader industrial policy framework.
The Chief Minister also reviewed infrastructure projects being implemented by the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO), directing officials to expedite proposed university developments in the Aerocity zone, along with logistics parks, entertainment hubs, data centre facilities, and studio apartment projects. The initiatives are part of a broader urban and industrial development strategy aimed at strengthening Maharashtra’s position as a key investment destination for technology-driven infrastructure.
