Maharashtra Budget Session 2026: Governor Acharya Devvrat highlights record FDI inflows, new industry policies and investment targets

Governor Acharya Devvrat said Maharashtra received Rs 1.64 lakh crore in FDI in 2024-25, accounting for 39 per cent of India’s inflows, and outlined new industry policies to boost jobs and investment.

Governor Devvrat also highlighted the government's efforts to create jobs and expand employment opportunities for the state's youth. (File Photo)

By: Express News Service

3 min readMumbaiFeb 23, 2026 03:56 PM IST First published on: Feb 23, 2026 at 03:56 PM IST

Maharashtra Governor Acharya Devvrat said Monday the state remains a preferred destination for foreign direct investment and contributes more than 13.5 per cent of the country’s total GDP, making it one of the country’s leading industrial states.

While addressing a joint session of the Maharashtra Assembly on the first day of the Budget Session, Governor Devvrat also highlighted the government’s efforts to create jobs and expand employment opportunities for the state’s youth.

“In the year 2024-25, Maharashtra received the highest FDI of Rs. 1,64,875 crore in the country, which is 39 per cent of total FDI received in India. In the first half of the financial year 2025-26, Maharashtra received FDI of Rs. 91,337 crore. At the World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland, in January 2026, my Government has signed Memorandums of Understanding of approximately Rs. 30 lakh crore of investment with various companies from 18 countries. It will help in the creation of 40 lakh jobs,” said the governor.

“My Government has announced the “Maharashtra Industry, Investment and Services Policy-2025” for the period from 2026 to 2030. Through this policy, the target has been set to attract investments of Rs. 70 lakh 50 thousand crore and generate about 50 lakh direct jobs,” he said.

Governor Devrat added that the government has announced the Bamboo Industry Policy, 2025, Gems and Jewellery Policy, 2025, Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics and Extended Reality Policy, 2025, and the Global Capability Centre Policy, 2025, to boost various industries and create employment in the state.

The Maharashtra Governor said the government is developing the Gadchiroli district as a steel hub and eastern Vidarbha as a steel corridor.

Listing out the MIDC Industrial Land Application and Allotment Portal (MILAAP) for transparent allotment of plots through MIDC, the Governor said the government has rolled out the Maharashtra Startup, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Policy, 2025, to make the state a global hub for entrepreneurship and innovation. “The policy aims to nurture 1,25,000 entrepreneurs and support 50,000 start-ups over the next five years,” he said.

With a focus on industry and trade development, the Governor noted that Maharashtra has secured first rank in the “Export Preparedness Index-2024” released by NITI Aayog in January 2026. “The government has established ‘Maha InvIT’ (Infrastructure Investment Trust). Approval has been granted to transfer selected infrastructure projects from the MSRDC and the MSIDC to the Infrastructure Investment Trust and to raise funds from private and public investors. This initiative will substantially benefit the State by effectively reducing the debt burden and ensuring a steady flow of investment for new infrastructures,” he said.

Amid demands for a farm loan waiver, the Governor said that the Maharashtra Government has disbursed financial assistance for crop damage, agricultural land losses, and seeds for the Rabi season, along with other related support measures. This, he said, amounts to Rs. 15,576 crore transferred to the Aadhaar-linked bank accounts of farmers affected by natural calamities, such as heavy rain and floods, that occurred in the state from June to October 2025.