Five Key Infrastructure Projects Advancing Under CM Eknath Shinde's Government In Maharashtra

Under the leadership of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, the Maharashtra government has expedited the progress of various infrastructure endeavours since assuming office.

Among these projects are notable advancements in transport infrastructure, redevelopment projects with a range of policy initiatives that are expected to have a significant impact on the state and its citizens. 

Chief Minister Shinde, in May, said the state is being preferred by many industries, including foreign ones, due to the availability of good infrastructure, skilled manpower and other facilities, as per an Economic Times report.

“There are several key infrastructure projects in the state that were languishing during the earlier government,” he added.

Criticising the Maha Vikas Aghadi administration for being stagnant in its policies, Shinde asserted that during the first nine months of his government alongside the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), obstacles in infrastructure projects have been successfully eliminated.

Furthermore, as a strong impetus to push infrastructure expansion, the government earmarked a substantial capital investment of Rs 53,058.55 crore in its budget, declared in March.

Over the next few years, the state is set to witness the completion of numerous big-ticket projects that have either been underway, stalled, or proposed.

Here is a compilation of five key projects that are currently progressing under the Chief Minister, aligning with the growth vision for Maharashtra.

1. Metro Network In Mumbai And Pune

Mumbai and Pune, key growth engines in Maharashtra, are prioritising mass transit improvement. In line with this, ambitious metro networks are underway in both cities to achieve this goal.

Metro systems have proven to be crucial for transforming mobility in Indian cities, promoting economic growth and physical dynamics. 

The Mumbai Metro has been envisioned to ease travel within the city and also to support the expansion of the city itself. With a comprehensive 14-line network, it will link the city with the wider metropolitan region. (read more on this)

Citizens have eagerly awaited these transit systems, which faced prolonged delays due to political complexities and the perspectives of state authorities.

Following a leadership change in July 2022, the state government elevated the status of metro projects, among others, under the new administration's priority list.

The outcomes of this approach are evident in the successful launch of recent metro lines.

With the ambitious plan of completing the vast network by 2026, other projects of the Mumbai Metro corridors and car depots have also been pushed for faster execution. 

Similarly, Pune has suffered from infrastructure-neglect across successive governments. During the 15-year Congress-NCP rule, little was done to address systemic issues.

The Pune Metro also faced delays due to legal disputes and alignment debates.

However, with strong political will, the government fast-tracked the project. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated two new sections on 1 August 2023.

The Pune Metro comprises of two corridors: the north-south corridor (Purple line) and the east-west corridor (Aqua line), spanning a combined 33.2 km, with 30 stations.

Maha Metro intends to finalise the remaining construction on these two corridors by year-end, linking key city areas and delivering a crucial modern metro system to Pune. (read more on this)

2. Samruddhi Mahamarg

Officially known as Hindu Hruday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg, the 701-km-long expressway connects Mumbai and Nagpur.

Out of this, the first phase, 520-km-long Nagpur-Shirdi stretch of Samruddhi Mahamarg, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi in December 2022.

The second phase — an 80 km stretch between Shirdi and Bharvir village in Igatpuri taluka in Nashik district, was inaugurated on 27 May by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

The remaining 100-km stretch between Igatpuri and Vadpe in Thane will be completed by end of this year or by March next year.

Shinde said the Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Expressway will go a long way in helping farmers in the state.

“We have completed the first phase of the Hinduhriday samrat Balasaheb Thackeray Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi Expressway. The remaining phase of the expressway will also be completed soon,” he added.

3. Urban Renewal Projects — Dharavi Redevelopment and Thane Cluster Development

Originally proposed in 1999, the Dharavi redevelopment project (DRP) has faced prolonged delays due to subsequent governments' challenges.

The project regained momentum under the Shinde-Fadnavis administration. In September 2022, the Maharashtra cabinet announced to invite fresh global bids for the DRP and offer additional benefits for the ambitious urban renewal project.

In November 2022, the Adani group emerged as the highest bidder for the redevelopment with an initial investment commitment of Rs 5,069 crore, against a base price of Rs 1,600 crore. 

To move forward with this much awaited project, Maharashtra government approved the Adani Group’s bid for the DRP in July this year.

The redevelopment of Dharavi can be seen as the largest slum development project. It looks at one of the most densely populated settlements of the world, with a long history of cultures, interactions and livelihoods it carries for the city of Mumbai. (read more on this)

Dharavi spans 259 hectare with a population estimate of around 600,000 and 12,000 commercial establishments.

Further in the series of redevelopment projects in the space-constrained Mumbai, the Thane cluster development scheme was inaugurated on 5 June in the presence of Chief Minister Shinde.

The Thane Municipal Corporation stated that this would be one of the biggest projects in the continent, and it is an ambitious project of Eknath Shinde.

After years of existing only on paper, the plan's implementation brings relief to Thane residents living in deteriorated and unauthorised buildings.

Reports indicate it could surpass the DRP as Greater Mumbai's largest urban renewal project, in terms of gross area — covering 1,500 hectare with 45 urban renewal plans.

4. Virar-Alibaug Multi-Modal Corridor

The 126-km-long multi-modal corridor from Navghar in Virar to Chirner in Uran is an important route connecting several national highways, Navi Mumbai International Airport, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link, Delhi-Mumbai dedicated freight corridor and Revas Port.

The corridor includes rapid bus transit, metro rail, water supply lines, gas lines and sewage lines and will be developed in two phases — 79 km Phase-1 from Navghar to Chirner near JNPT, and 47 km Phase-2 from Chirner to Alibaug.

Projected to cost approximately Rs 40,000 crore, the project is set for completion by 2026.

The multi-modal corridor will be a crucial step towards development, strengthening and creating job opportunities in seven growth centres in Mumbai metropolitan region.

This corridor will carry all the traffic from JNPT towards Navi Mumbai and Thane, outside the city and will help reduce traffic congestion within the city. The travel time between Virar to Alibaug required today will also be reduced by 50 per cent.

5. Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train

The Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) is currently the only sanctioned high-speed rail project in the country.

The country’s first ‘bullet’ train will traverse along west India’s landscape, covering 508.17 km distance between Mumbai and Ahmedabad in just about two hours. 

The project was sanctioned in December 2015 at an estimated cost of Rs 108,000 crore with 80 per cent Japanese funding as an easy loan.

While the work on the bullet train project has progressed rapidly in Gujarat, it suffered delays in Maharashtra.

"The execution of Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail has been delayed especially due to delay in land acquisition in the state of Maharashtra and consequent delays in the finalisation of contracts as well as the adverse impact of COVID-19," Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had said in his written reply to a question in Lok Sabha in March.

In the following weeks of assuming office, the Shinde government approved multiple pending clearances, including those related to forest and environment, and fast-tracked the project in the state.

Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced on 14 July 2022, that all clearances have been granted for the MAHSR in the state.

The first trial run of project, is scheduled for August 2026 between Surat and Bilimora (63 km).

In addition to expediting the construction of these key projects, the government has also achieved breakthroughs in the progress of other large-scale projects such as the Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link (MTHL) and Coastal Road project in Mumbai, the Pune-Nashik High Speed Rail, Nashik Metro and a series of expressways including the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway.

Also read:

• Driving Change In Mumbai: How Sea Links And Coastal Roads Are Redefining City’s Transit Landscape

• How Transport Infrastructure Growth Will Support Maharashtra Government’s Aim To Make Mumbai Metropolitan Region A $250 Billion Economy