Union Budget 2026 is a strong step towards Viksit Bharat: CM Fadnavis

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde have welcomed the Union Budget 2026 calling it a strong and decisive step towards building a Viksit Bharat Developed IndiaBoth leaders said the budget will significantly strengthen Mumbai and Maharashtra while accelerating growth across smaller citiesIn a post on social media platform X Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the budget focuses on planned urbanisation promotion of industry and entrepreneurship and strong measures to boost investment and job creationHe highlighted the allocation of Rs 12 lakh crore for infrastructure development along with substantial provisions for agriculture animal husbandry fisheries and irrigationFadnavis said the decision to create exclusive malls and business opportunities for women following the success of the Lakhpati Didi scheme is a crucial step towards womenrsquos economic empowerment He also welcomed the announcement of hostels for girls pursuing higher education in every district and the strengthening of emergency medical services in district hospitalsHighspeed rail corridorsThe Chief Minister added that highspeed rail corridors such as MumbaiPune and PuneHyderabad will significantly increase GDP growthHe said growth hubs like the Mumbai Metropolitan Region MMR Pune and Nagpur will each receive Rs 5000 crore over five years giving a major boost to regional developmentBudget a firm step towards fulfilling PM Modirsquos vision ShindeReacting to the budget Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that it will accelerate the overall development of small cities while strengthening infrastructure and providing largescale support to micro small and medium enterprises MSMEsHe described the budget as a firm step towards fulfilling Prime Minister Narendra Modirsquos vision of a developed and selfreliant IndiaShinde said that despite global economic instability India has maintained its growth rate and the budget balances economic development improvement in living standards and the principle of Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas He noted that the budget reflects awareness of present challenges while preparing for the futureThe Deputy Chief Minister said Mumbai and Maharashtra will benefit greatly from the budget He welcomed the announcement of the Indian Institute of Creative Technology in Mumbai following the global WAVES conference held in the city last year He said the institute will strengthen Mumbairsquos position in the entertainment and creative industries an official statement saidWill boost their economic potential says ShindeShinde also highlighted the focus on TierII and TierIII cities saying this will boost their economic potentialHe said infrastructure funding of Rs 12 lakh crore for cities with populations above five lakh along with incentives of Rs 100 crore for municipal bonds will help strengthen urban local bodies across MaharashtraHe added that Maharashtrarsquos strong manufacturing base will benefit from incentives for MSMEs semiconductor manufacturing biopharma textiles handlooms handicrafts container manufacturing and data centresAccording to Shinde these sectors are well represented in the state and will see significant growthDevelopment of medical hubsThe Deputy Chief Minister also welcomed the announcement of highspeed rail corridors the development of medical hubs to promote medical tourism and support for the fisheries sector including coconut and cashew production through technologybased measuresShinde said the introduction of lsquoSheMartsrsquo will help women from selfhelp groups become entrepreneurs while hostels for girls in every district will provide strong support for education He also said the reduction in import duty on medicines for serious illnesses will bring relief to thousands of patientsHe further noted that the simplified income tax system announced earlier will be implemented from April 1 benefiting taxpayers across all income groups