Pune, 12 January 2025: Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday presented an ambitious roadmap to transform Pune into a ₹23 lakh crore, “Pune Growth Hub,” calling it the future growth engine of Maharashtra.
He was speaking at the ‘Samvad Punekaranshi’ programme in Pune, moderated by actor Girija Oak Godbole, ahead of the Pune Municipal Corporation elections.
Fadnavis said Pune is not just a city but a tradition of ideas, and its growth must be high-quality, sustainable and trustworthy. He said people do not want hollow promises, but reliable Metro services, good buses and a well-planned city. That is the direction in which the government is working.
He said Pune currently contributes ₹7Lakh Crore to Maharashtra’s ₹53 Lakh Crore economy and this will rise through integrated development of Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad and the PMRDA region. The city will also be positioned as a major hub for Global Capability Centres (GCCs), along with green investments, a climate action plan and cultural development.
On transport, Fadnavis said Pune’s traffic crisis is being tackled through a mix of Metro, electric buses, underground roads, flyovers, ring road and elevated corridors.
A 100 km Metro network is being built and a single-ticket system for Metro and PMPML buses will be launched. The electric bus fleet will grow from 1,000 to 5,000. He said the ring road alone will cut traffic by nearly 40 percent.
Addressing Metro delays, he said Pune faced more hurdles than Nagpur due to protests and court stays, which pushed costs up, but the project is now moving fast with public support. He added that Punekars are ready to pay reasonable fares for quality services.
On water, he said the main problem is not use but leakage, which is close to 40 percent. The equal water supply project is 60 percent complete and will replace old pipelines. Wastewater reuse and new water sources are also being planned.
Fadnavis assured that Pune’s hills will not be destroyed. Encroachments will be removed and rehabilitated under a new policy that protects biodiversity while allowing sustainable development.
He also warned against criminalisation in politics, saying anyone with criminal links will face jail, not civic office. “Good leadership means thinking 20 years ahead and bringing people together,” he said.
The event underlined BJP’s focus on development, infrastructure, environment and governance as Pune heads into civic elections.
