Mumbai: Maharashtra made a stunning start at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026 in Davos, signing 19 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) on the first day alone, representing a cumulative investment of approximately INR 14.5 lakh crore (USD 173 billion). The agreements have the potential to generate over 15 lakh employment opportunities across sectors, reflecting strong global confidence in the state’s markets, infrastructure readiness, and long-term growth fundamentals.
Maharashtra Pavilion Marks the Start of Strategic Engagements
Maharashtra inaugurated its state pavilion at Davos 2026, signaling the beginning of a focused week of high-level engagements aimed at advancing the state’s ambition to become a five trillion-dollar economy under the vision of Viksit Maharashtra 2047.
The pavilion served as a platform for structured dialogue and investment realization, with a focus on industry, consumer markets, hospitality, infrastructure, core sectors, and digital initiatives. It highlights the state’s proactive approach to attracting sustained capital deployment through global partnerships.
High-Level Business Meetings
Throughout the day, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, accompanied by Minister for Industries Uday Samant and senior officials from the Chief Minister’s Office, the Industry Investment and Services Department, and MMRDA, engaged in business-to-government meetings with multinational giants such as Coca-Cola, Antora Energy, and Brookfield.
Discussions centered on:
- Scaling existing operations
- Expanding production and service capacity
- Strengthening supply chains
Positioning Maharashtra as a preferred hub for India’s domestic and regional markets
Major MoUs and Investments
Industry, Investment, and Services Department
The state’s Industry, Investment and Services Department, responsible for industrial development and investment facilitation, coordinated investments worth approximately INR 3.13 lakh crore (~USD 38 billion), with the potential to create over 4.4 lakh jobs in sectors such as:
- Food Processing
- Renewable Energy
- Green Steel
- Electric Vehicles and Automotive
- Shipbuilding
- Digital Infrastructure
With a single-window system and the MAITRI investment cell, the department is well-positioned to implement these investments efficiently.
Notable Investments
- Carlsberg Group: Additional investment of INR 500 crore (~USD 60 million) following previous projects.
- Skoda Auto Volkswagen (Pune): INR 12,000 crore (~USD 1.44 billion).
- Lodha Group: Maiden data center investment of INR 1 lakh crore (~USD 12 billion).
- Arcelor Mittal: INR 1.1 lakh crore (~USD 12 billion) for sustainable steel manufacturing.
- Surjagad Ispat: Investment intention of INR 20,000 crore with 8,000 potential jobs in Gadchiroli.
- Yoki Green Energy: MoU worth INR 4,000 crore for renewable energy projects.
- Yeoman Marine Services: Strategic maritime and shipbuilding investment of INR 1,050 crore (~USD 120 million).
MMRDA and Global Partnerships
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) signed MoUs totaling approximately INR 11 lakh crore (USD 137 billion) with global infrastructure firms including Brookfield (Canada) and Sumitomo (Japan).
Other strategic collaborations include:
SBG Group: INR 3.3 lakh crore (~USD 45 billion) investment intention
Partnerships with JICA (Japan), University of California, Berkeley (USA), Sembcorp (Singapore), Technical University of Munich (Germany), and Urban Futures Collective Consortium (UK) for the long-term development of Mumbai as a global city
These initiatives aim to enhance infrastructure, digital capabilities, urban development, and sustainability in line with Maharashtra’s global city vision.
Maharashtra’s Model for Investment Success
Maharashtra’s robust investment outcomes are attributed to:
- Dynamic leadership of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis
- Inter-departmental coordination and fast-track approvals
Proven track record: Three-quarters of MoUs signed in January 2025 have moved to implementation, demonstrating the state’s reliability as an investment destination
About MIDC
The Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), established in 1962, is the nodal agency for industrial development and investment facilitation in the state. MIDC has:
Developed over 300 industrial areas across 250,000 acres
Supported multi-sector industrial estates and specialized clusters in electronics, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, textiles, IT, biotech, defense, and electric mobility
Played a key role in making Maharashtra India’s most industrialized state
Looking Ahead
With this record-breaking first day at Davos 2026, Maharashtra is poised to continue attracting strategic investments across sectors including AI, Quantum Computing, Digital Infrastructure, Shipping, EV, Renewables, Fintech, Logistics, and Infrastructure. The state aims to leverage these engagements to shape the Maharashtra of tomorrow, combining economic growth with sustainable development.
