Maharashtra Cabinet clears AI Policy 2026, targets ₹10,000 crore investment and 1.5 lakh jobs
Synopsis
Maharashtra has approved an AI policy with a ₹10,000 crore investment target and 1.5 lakh jobs — backed by 6 Centres of Excellence and 5 AI Innovation Cities — just days after launching the MahaChatur AI Chatbot. In the same sitting, the Cabinet cleared a World Bank-backed green energy grid project, a permanent Dr Ambedkar Chair at LSE, and a 300-crore-tree planting commission.
Key Takeaways
Maharashtra Cabinet approved AI Policy 2026 on 29 April 2025 , targeting over ₹10,000 crore in investment and 1.5 lakh jobs .
Policy proposes 6 AI Centres of Excellence and 5 AI Innovation Cities across the state.
MAGESTIC project cleared to strengthen green energy and storage integration, funded via a World Bank loan.
Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Chair approved at the London School of Economics (LSE) with doctoral scholarships.
Special commission formed to oversee planting of 300 crore trees across Maharashtra.
Divyang scholarship amounts increased for the first time in 12 years .
The Maharashtra Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, on Wednesday, 29 April 2025, approved the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy 2026, targeting an investment of over ₹10,000 crore and the creation of 1.5 lakh job opportunities across the state. The Cabinet simultaneously cleared the MAGESTIC project — Maharashtra's green energy and storage integration initiative — to be funded through a World Bank loan.
What the AI Policy 2026 Covers
The AI Policy 2026 proposes the establishment of 6 AI Centres of Excellence to ensure equitable distribution of opportunities across Maharashtra, alongside 5 AI Innovation Cities designed to bolster the state's AI infrastructure. The policy signals Maharashtra's intent to position itself as India's leading AI destination, with incentives aimed at attracting both domestic and global technology investment.
The Cabinet's approval comes just two days after Chief Minister Fadnavis launched the MahaChatur AI Chatbot — a WhatsApp-based assistant offering a unified platform for skill development, job alerts, entrepreneurship guidance, market linkages, and grievance redressal. Fadnavis underscored India's demographic edge, noting that 65 per cent of the country's population is under the age of 35.
Point of View
But the real question is execution sequencing. The state has announced AI Centres of Excellence and Innovation Cities before the enabling infrastructure — power, connectivity, and talent pipelines — is demonstrably in place. The MAGESTIC green energy project, still at the preliminary report stage, is itself a precondition for the energy-intensive AI clusters the policy envisions. Approving both on the same day is politically coherent but logistically circular. The Dr Ambedkar Chair at LSE is symbolically significant, but Maharashtra's more urgent equity challenge is inside its own tribal schools, where the ACP revision for non-teaching staff is long overdue.
NationPress
1 May 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Maharashtra's AI Policy 2026?
Maharashtra's AI Policy 2026, approved on 29 April 2025, targets over ₹10,000 crore in investment and 1.5 lakh jobs. It proposes 6 AI Centres of Excellence and 5 AI Innovation Cities to build the state's technology infrastructure.
What is the MAGESTIC project approved by the Maharashtra Cabinet?
MAGESTIC stands for Maharashtra: Accelerating Green Energy and Storage Technologies Integration in Connected Grid. It is a World Bank-funded initiative to strengthen Maharashtra's green energy usage and transmission capacity; the Cabinet has cleared the preliminary project report for submission to the Central Government.
What is the MahaChatur AI Chatbot?
The MahaChatur AI Chatbot is a WhatsApp-based assistant launched by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis two days before the Cabinet approval. It provides a one-stop platform for skill training, job alerts, entrepreneurship guidance, market linkages, and grievance redressal.
What is the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Chair approved at LSE?
The Maharashtra Cabinet approved a permanent Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Chair at the London School of Economics and Political Science as part of the Social Equality and Harmony Year celebrations. It will offer doctoral scholarships in the name of Bharat Ratna Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar.
Who benefits from the revised Divyang scholarship?
Students with disabilities pursuing post-secondary higher education will benefit from increased scholarship amounts — the first revision in 12 years — now covering fees for universities, exam boards, admissions, tuition, registration, libraries, periodicals, and medical examinations.
