Chief Minister and Finance Minister Devendra Fadnavis presented the Maharashtra Budget 2026–27 on Friday with a strong focus on urban transport and improving infrastructure.
The government plans to increase the gross domestic product of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region from USD 140 billion to USD 300 billion. The budget highlights new metro projects, road and rail connectivity, digital governance and large urban development plans.
Economic Growth Plans for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR)
- Large urban development projects were also outlined. A third city cluster, referred to as Mumbai 3.0, will be developed in the Atal Setu region. The areas of Karnala-Sai-Chirner, Raigad-Pen and the Navi Mumbai International Airport region will be developed as greenfield development centres.
- A global startup and innovation hub will be developed on 130 acres of land in Wadala.
- Another urban development plan called Mumbai 4.0 will be built in Vadhvan in the Palghar district. The government also plans large housing redevelopment through the Slum Rehabilitation Authority. The plan includes the redevelopment of 20 lakh slum houses and the construction of 10 lakh affordable homes.
- The state government also announced plans to boost tourism. The goal is to increase the number of visitors from 16 crore to 38 crore. Tourism investment chambers will be set up in Dubai, Singapore and Mumbai. Fadnavis said the government will digitise travel services completely to build a tourism ecosystem.
Urban Transport and Metro Expansion
The state government plans to strengthen metro networks in major cities. At present, 173 kilometres of metro lines operate in Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur. The government plans to add more metro routes and modernise road and rail systems.
- The government also highlighted the Metro Line 8 project. This metro corridor will connect Mumbai with the Navi Mumbai International Airport. The project is expected to cost around INR 22,000 crore and is planned to improve airport connectivity.
- Another important infrastructure project is the Thane–Borivali Connectivity Project. It is expected to be completed by June 2028. The Mumbai–Pune Global Capability Centre corridor was also discussed.
- Work related to the Mumbai–Ahmedabad bullet train corridor is also progressing. Three stations between Thane and Talasari are expected to be completed by February 2027. The areas around the bullet train stations in Virar, Boisar and Thane will also be developed.
- The key project in this budget is Mumbai Metro Line 11. This completely underground metro line will be built between Wadala and Gateway of India and its estimated cost is Rs 23,487 crore.
- This project will greatly increase the metro facilities in South Mumbai. Currently, metro connectivity in this area is limited. The government is also considering extending the metro line from Dharavi Redevelopment Project to Bandra Terminus, which will strengthen connectivity in central and western Mumbai.
- The government also informed about the progress of the Taloja–Khandeshwar Metro Line 2 project. This route will be important for improving connectivity to the upcoming Navi Mumbai Airport.
- Apart from this, the Panvel–Karjat Rail Corridor project is in the final stage and is likely to be opened for traffic soon.
Road and Expressway Expansion
- To reduce traffic congestion in Mumbai, an underground subway network is proposed to be developed in congested areas.
- Also, the first phase of the Goregaon–Mulund Link Road project is in the final stage and this will improve east-west connectivity in Mumbai.
- The Versova–Bhayander Coastal Road project is targeted to be completed by December 2028.
Major infrastructure projects across the state
The state government is planning to develop about 1,200 km of metro lines and about 6,000 km of expressways in the coming years.
The work of directly connecting South Mumbai with Samruddhi Mahamarg is also targeted to be completed by 2028. This will reduce travel time and strengthen connectivity in the state.