Overview

• Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis signed a memorandum with Niti Aayog today to designate Pune as the country’s fifth Metropolitan Region Growth Hub under the central government’s framework.
• Fadnavis identified ‘local dadagiri’ by political actors and goons as the biggest bottleneck to Pune’s industrial growth and warned it could erode the city’s leadership role.
• He urged a renewed focus on Pune’s key advantage—skilled manpower and innovation—calling for the development of specialized innovation hubs to retain and attract industries.
• The state government unveiled plans for a new Airport Road and a peripheral Ring Road to enhance connectivity and support expanding industrial activity.
• Niti Aayog CEO V R Subramanyham highlighted Pune’s strengths in manufacturing, IT, automotive and education while recommending diversification into agri-processing and urban tourism.