Pune is set to receive a major policy and funding boost as work begins on an Economic Master Plan to develop the Pune Metropolitan Region as a national Growth Hub. The plan is being prepared by McKinsey & Company, which has been appointed as the consultant for the project.
The Growth Hub initiative has been introduced by NITI Aayog to create focused economic development strategies for select Indian cities. Pune, along with Mumbai and Nagpur, has been included under this initiative.
The Union Budget presented by Nirmala Sitharaman has allocated ₹5,000 crore for Growth Hub cities, formally placing Pune on the Centre’s priority list.
The Maharashtra government had earlier decided, in September 2025, to prepare and implement an Economic Master Plan for the Pune Metropolitan Region. The Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) has been designated as the implementation authority, while a dedicated Growth Hub governance structure has also been put in place.
A Growth Hub Executive Committee, chaired by the Divisional Commissioner and comprising senior officials from Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal corporations, the district administration and PMRDA, has already held four to five meetings. McKinsey has begun consultations with stakeholders from multiple sectors, including industry, cooperative institutions, healthcare, and architecture.
“Meetings with experts from various sectors are currently underway, and a preliminary report is expected within the next two months,” said Dr Yogesh Mhase, Commissioner, PMRDA. He added that once approved at the state level, the plan will be forwarded to the central government for final clearance.
Dr Mhase said the inclusion of Pune in the Union Budget’s Growth Hub announcement will make it easier to secure central funding for proposed development projects. “After receiving approvals from the state and central governments, the Economic Master Plan will guide Pune’s long-term growth in a structured and coordinated manner,” he said.
The plan is being developed on the lines of India’s first Economic Master Plan prepared for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and will factor in local needs through consultations with all relevant stakeholders.