Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday, 29 May 2026, declared that Maharashtra is poised to lead the Artificial Intelligence (AI) revolution — not just within India but on the global stage — citing the state's financial muscle, technological depth, and a thriving start-up ecosystem. He made these remarks at the inauguration of Mumbai Tech Week 2026 in Mumbai.

Maharashtra's AI Targets

Chief Minister Fadnavis outlined a set of ambitious benchmarks the state government has committed to: attracting ₹10,000 crore in AI investments, generating 1.5 lakh jobs, establishing six Centres of Excellence, and creating dedicated AI Innovation Zones across the state. These targets, he said, are backed by concrete infrastructure plans rather than policy intent alone.

Central to this push is a Compute-as-a-Service facility currently being built by the state government, which will make 2,000 GPUs available to start-ups and researchers at subsidised access. Fadnavis explained the rationale directly: 'Innovation stalls when high-capacity computing infrastructure is unaffordable. Therefore, the Government of Maharashtra is directly providing the necessary infrastructure.'

AI in Government: From Farms to Courtrooms

The Chief Minister detailed how AI is already being woven into state administration across multiple departments. The Maha-Vistar farmers' app — described as a one-stop solution for agricultural needs — was recognised as the country's best agri-tech solution at the India AI Summit by the Central Government. A national-level India-Vistar framework is now reportedly being developed on the back of its success.

In law enforcement, the state has developed Crime OS, an AI platform for criminal investigations and judicial processes. Fadnavis noted that a charge-sheet previously requiring three to four months to compile — running up to 15,000 pages — can now be completed in 10 to 12 days. AI is also being deployed in building permission clearances, medical insurance fraud detection, HR management via the HR Stack, traffic control, disaster response, and surveillance. The state has set a target of 50 specialised AI engines across departments.

Start-Up Ecosystem and Investment Push

Fadnavis noted that the concept of an association of tech entrepreneurs was first proposed in December 2022, and that Maharashtra has since ranked as the leading state for investments and start-up volume for three consecutive years. He credited founders and entrepreneurs — not government policy — as the real architects of the ecosystem, while positioning the state as an enabling partner through its Fund of Funds investment assistance programme.

Extending a direct invitation to domestic and international companies attending Mumbai Tech Week, he urged them to anchor their India operations in Maharashtra. 'Today, an increasing number of founders, investors, and global corporations are aligning with Maharashtra each year,' he said.

Ethical AI and Democratisation

Addressing concerns around data security, deepfakes, and algorithmic bias, Fadnavis asserted that 'Ethical AI' is the foundational philosophy of the state's policy framework. He emphasised that AI must not remain the preserve of large corporations — Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) must be able to access and benefit from it. Human intervention and core human values, he added, must remain central to AI development as the technology scales.

With infrastructure commitments, sectoral deployment, and a clear investment target now on record, Maharashtra's AI ambitions will be tested by execution speed and the ability to attract global capital in an increasingly competitive landscape.