Maharashtra has set an ambitious target to create over 1.5 lakh artificial intelligence (AI)-linked jobs and attract ₹10,000 crore in investments by 2031. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis made this announcement on Friday at the inaugural edition of ImagiNxt 2026, a two-day technology and innovation festival held at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai. Positioning Maharashtra as a frontrunner in India's technology-driven growth story, Fadnavis emphasized that AI will reshape business, governance, and everyday life.
AI Policy and Roadmap
Fadnavis outlined the state's recently announced AI policy, which includes a comprehensive roadmap to achieve these goals. Key initiatives include the establishment of six AI Centres of Excellence, five AI Innovation Cities, a ₹500-crore AI Startup Fund, 12 AI incubators, and a shared compute infrastructure of 2,000 GPUs. These measures are designed to foster innovation and create a robust ecosystem for AI development in the state.
Economic Vision
Linking the technology push to Maharashtra's broader economic ambitions, Fadnavis noted that the state's economy has grown from ₹14 lakh crore in 2015 to nearly ₹54 lakh crore today. Maharashtra contributes over 31% of India's foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows. The chief minister reiterated the state's goal to become a $1 trillion economy by 2030, with technology, innovation, and ease of doing business serving as central pillars of this journey.
Union Minister's Address
Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh delivered the inaugural keynote, describing India's entry into a transformative decade powered by AI, quantum computing, biotechnology, space, and nuclear energy. He highlighted the growth of India's space sector following private participation, projecting the space economy to expand from $9 billion to $40–45 billion over the next decade. Singh also noted that India's space startup ecosystem has grown from single-digit numbers to over 400 startups in five years. Defence production crossed ₹1.5 lakh crore in 2025, while defence exports exceeded ₹23,000 crore. He referred to a proposed ₹1 lakh crore Research, Development, and Innovation Fund to support next-generation technologies and deep-tech ventures.
Event Highlights
Hosted by Maharashtra Tourism, ImagiNxt 2026 brings together founders, policymakers, investors, enterprise leaders, and academia to deliberate on AI, DeepTech, SpaceTech, and digital infrastructure. Organizers expect over 10,000 attendees, with participation from more than 150 speakers, 250 startups, and 100 investors. Founder and CEO Deepak Lamba stated that the opening day reflected the scale of ambition building across India's innovation ecosystem and aimed to foster collaboration between startups, investors, and policymakers shaping the country's next phase of technology-led growth.
