Pune Targets $220 Billion Economy by 2036, Plans Rs 10 Lakh Crore Investment, 20 Lakhs Jobs

Reported by Mubarak Ansari
Pune, 28th September 2026: The Pune Economic Region aims to grow its economy from $68 billion in the financial year 2025-26 to $200–220 billion by 2035-36, with a proposed investment of ₹9–10 lakh crore and the creation of 15–20 lakh additional jobs.

The targets are part of an integrated development roadmap prepared under NITI Aayog’s Growth Hub initiative. The plan includes 58 priority projects focused on industrial growth, public transport, affordable housing, tourism, agriculture, water security and environmental protection.

The Pune Growth Hub plan was presented to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at a meeting held at Sahyadri Guest House in Mumbai on Monday. Minister of State for Urban Development Madhuri Misal, Chief Secretary Rajesh Agrawal, Maharashtra Finance Commission Chairman Nitin Kareer and senior officials from various departments attended the meeting.

The presentation was made by Shirish Sankhye, Managing Director of ISEG, and Raunak Shah of McKinsey.

The Pune Economic Region plan covers areas under the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) and Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA). The process began on August 1, 2025, with the participation of NITI Aayog, the Maharashtra government and Pune International Centre.

According to the roadmap, the region’s current real economic growth rate of 6–6.5% is targeted to increase to 10%. Pune currently contributes approximately 11–12% of Maharashtra’s state income.

The plan is also intended to support Maharashtra’s broader goal of becoming a $5 trillion economy by 2047.

250-km Metro network and 12,000–14,000 buses proposed

Expanding public transport is a key component of the plan, which aims to increase the share of public transport in daily travel from the current 13% to 50%.

The proposed infrastructure includes:

* A Metro network spanning 250 km.

* 11 railway projects.

* 13 road projects.

* A fleet of 12,000–14,000 buses.

* Six multimodal transport hubs.

The roadmap aims to ensure that at least half of all daily journeys in the Pune Economic Region are made using public transport. The objective is to provide commuters with more travel options and reduce dependence on private vehicles.

15–20 lakh additional jobs targeted

The Pune Economic Region currently has approximately 56 lakh jobs. The roadmap targets a total of 74–76 lakh jobs over the next decade, with an estimated 15–20 lakh additional employment opportunities.

These jobs are expected to come from manufacturing, services, healthcare, education, tourism, agro-processing and transport.

The plan identifies six priority areas for industrial development: automotive and electric vehicles, engineering goods, defence manufacturing, robotics and drones, electronics and semiconductors, and biotechnology.

Proposed projects include an electric vehicle and future mobility hub, a high-tech engineering park, electronics and defence technology manufacturing facilities, robotics centres, IT facilities, global capability centres and artificial intelligence hubs.

These sectors are expected to have the potential to generate four to five lakh additional jobs.

The roadmap also proposes increasing the number of startups in the region to more than 10,000 and providing reskilling opportunities in AI, cloud computing and cybersecurity to 1.5–2 lakh technology professionals.

Four to five lakh affordable homes planned

The plan aims to address housing requirements arising from the region’s expanding workforce and urban population.

It proposes developing four to five lakh affordable homes for different income groups, industrial workers, students and technology professionals. This includes one lakh workers’ hostel units.

Cluster-based redevelopment of densely populated areas and rehabilitation of eligible slum-dwelling families are also proposed. The target is to rehabilitate 90% of eligible families living in slums by 2036.

Pune aims to become a major tourism destination

The roadmap seeks to position the Pune Economic Region among India’s top 10 tourism destinations by developing six tourism segments: forts and lakes, sports and adventure, medical and wedding tourism, events, wildlife, and religious and cultural tourism.

Key proposals include a Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj forts circuit connecting Shivneri, Lohagad, Rajgad and Sinhagad; water tourism facilities at Pawana and Bhatghar; a 600-km Sahyadri open trekking trail; a medical tourism corridor; an events and entertainment centre at the Pune International Exhibition and Convention Centre (PIECC); and a leopard safari in Junnar.

The proposed initiatives are intended to expand tourism-related economic activity and create employment opportunities.

Agriculture and food processing targeted for growth

The plan identifies horticulture, dairy farming and food processing as key drivers of the rural economy.

Priority crops include grapes, bananas, pomegranates, figs and strawberries. The roadmap proposes developing food-processing units, cold-storage facilities, cold-chain infrastructure and biofuel projects at identified locations.

The gross value added by the agriculture and food-processing sectors is targeted to rise from $5 billion to $10–12 billion.

Additional 200 MLD water requirement identified

The Pune Economic Region is estimated to require an additional 200 million litres of water per day.

The roadmap proposes multiple measures to address future demand, including allocation of seven TMC of water from the Mulshi reservoir, additional supply from the Bhama basin, greater reuse of treated wastewater, improved distribution efficiency and desilting of water-storage facilities.

The proposals are intended to improve water security as the region’s population and industrial activity expand.

Skill development for women and young people

The plan proposes expanding skill-development programmes, industrial training institute courses and university curricula to prepare young people for emerging employment opportunities.

Training in electric vehicles, electronics, robotics and biotechnology is among the areas identified for greater focus. Increasing women’s participation in the workforce is another stated objective.

Policy reforms and implementation structure proposed

The roadmap recommends policy changes relating to semiconductors, industrial worker housing, rural-urban transition, MSMEs, integrated townships, tourism, cluster redevelopment, autonomous industrial townships, private industrial parks, startups, slum redevelopment and bus operations.

For implementation, it proposes a multi-level governance structure comprising a regulatory council chaired by the Chief Minister, a state steering committee headed by the Chief Secretary, a Pune Growth Hub steering committee and a project management unit under PMRDA.

The proposed roadmap sets out a long-term development vision for the Pune Economic Region. Its targets will depend on the implementation of the identified projects, funding arrangements, inter-agency coordination and the delivery timelines adopted by the government.