Nagpur: CM Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday positioned Vidarbha at the heart of Maharashtra’s next growth cycle, announcing that the state will build an access-controlled road linking the region directly to the upcoming Vadhavan port once it becomes operational, cutting freight time to under 8 hours.Speaking at the International Business Conclave on the 2nd day of Advantage Vidarbha – Khasdar Audyogik Mahotsav, organised by the Association for Industrial Development at Nagpur University campus, the CM called Nagpur the “real centre of India”, recalling that the British trigonometrical survey began here, and described the city as the state’s winter capital, the tiger capital of India, the Zero Mile marker and “the centre of the nation”. He said Vidarbha is now the fastest-growing region in the state, with Nagpur and Gadchiroli poised to drive the next phase of industrial expansion.“Maharashtra is witnessing development at a “dynamic pace”, with Vidarbha emerging as one of the fastest-growing regions. The access-controlled road to Vadhavan port, planned to be among the world’s largest, will open vast logistics opportunities for the region,” he said.Accompanied by Union minister Nitin Gadkari, Global India Business Forum world president Jitendra Joshi, AID president Ashish Kale and consul generals from 22 countries, Fadnavis said new investments and memoranda of understanding are turning Nagpur into “India’s largest ecosystem for solar module manufacturing”, with proposals exceeding ₹10,000 crore in the segment and more in the pipeline. He also referred to Friday’s pact with automobile giant Mahindra for next-generation electric vehicles in Nagpur and said manufacturing growth across Nagpur and Vidarbha is accelerating.Highlighting Gadchiroli, he said the district is being developed as “the steel hub of India” with a focus on green steel. “We are creating an ecosystem of green steel. Coal gasification projects like the one by Adani will change the coal economy of Vidarbha,” he said.The CM announced that after Mumbai and Pune, “Nagpur, Nashik and Sambhaji Nagar will become new Global Capability Centres (GCC) corridors”, and said a high-profile GCC summit will be held in Nagpur next month. He added that Maharashtra already accounts for nearly 60% of India’s data centre capacity and aims to lead in emerging sectors such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), semiconductors, EVs and the circular economy.Referring to guidance from PM Narendra Modi, Fadnavis said, “We will make Mumbai the fintech capital of the world”, adding that fintech, agri-tech and food processing will be major opportunity areas for Vidarbha, known for oranges and agricultural strength. He noted that Maharashtra was the first to announce a Mission AI in agriculture.Calling urbanisation “a boon if properly managed”, he said 65% of the state’s GDP comes from urban centres and policy-led growth will define the next phase. “Our GCC policy is the best in the country. Investors appreciate that every investment here is seamless,” he said, also citing new policies in bamboo, aerospace, leather, pharma, medical devices, bioplastics and the circular economy.“Nagpur is becoming the medical hub of central India,” Fadnavis said, adding that wildlife, forest-based economy and tourism will also contribute to Vidarbha’s growth. “Locate your business here at the right time,” he urged investors, saying Maharashtra remains “a real economic powerhouse”, contributing nearly 40% of the country’s FDI inflow.
