Pune Growth Hub to Drive Jobs, GDP Boost; PMRDA Named Implementing Authority
Reported by Mubarak Ansari
Pune, 29th October 2025: NITI Aayog Chief Executive Officer B.V.R. Subrahmanyam has directed that the draft economic master plan for the ‘Pune Metropolitan Region Growth Hub’ be prepared and submitted at the earliest, citing the region’s immense potential for economic expansion and job creation.
He was speaking at a review meeting held at Vidhan Bhavan to assess the progress of the Growth Hub initiative for the Pune Metropolitan Region (PMR). The meeting was attended by State Finance Commission Chairman Dr. Nitin Kareer, Divisional Commissioner Dr. Chandrakant Pulkundwar, Pune Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishor Ram, Agriculture Commissioner Suraj Mandhare, PMRDA Commissioner Dr. Yogesh Mhase, Additional Commissioner Deepak Singla, PMC Additional Commissioner Prithviraj B.P., SRA Chief Executive Officer Dr. Satish Khadke, District Collector Jitendra Dudi, Zilla Parishad CEO Gajanan Patil, and KPIT CEO Ravi Pandit.
ISEG Director and McKinsey & Company Associate Shirish Sankhe joined the meeting virtually.
During the presentation, Subrahmanyam outlined the framework of the economic master plans already prepared by NITI Aayog for the first phase of four cities — Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Surat, Varanasi, and Visakhapatnam. He noted that Pune, with its strong presence in the automobile, information technology, and manufacturing sectors, is naturally positioned for rapid economic growth.
“Pune has always been an industrial leader, and with well-coordinated planning, it can significantly boost GDP and create large-scale employment opportunities. The Growth Hub initiative must leverage local resources and ensure data-driven planning across all departments,” Subrahmanyam said.
Dr. Kareer, in his remarks, stated that both the Mumbai and Pune Metropolitan Region Growth Hubs will play a crucial role in Maharashtra’s overall economic progress. Divisional Commissioner Dr. Pulkundwar added that coordination among all concerned departments is underway to ensure timely preparation of the plan.
Representing ISEG and McKinsey & Company, Sankhe explained that the Growth Hub model aims to enhance GDP and generate employment across 8–10 metropolitan regions in India. As Pune enters the next phase of this initiative, detailed data and inputs from various sectors of the city were shared during the session.
PMRDA Commissioner Dr. Mhase presented an overview of ongoing and planned development projects within the PMRDA jurisdiction — including ring roads, road infrastructure, river pollution control, urban planning, sewage management, and affordable housing initiatives. These, he said, will form the foundation for future economic expansion.
The final economic master plan for the Pune Metropolitan Region is expected within the next four months. Departments have been instructed to provide updated sectoral information to the Pune International Centre, which will compile and analyze data in coordination with PMRDA. A structured questionnaire will also be circulated among entrepreneurs, stakeholders, and citizens to gather inputs and feedback on the draft plan.
The PMRDA has been designated as the implementing authority for the Pune Growth Hub, while the Pune International Centre will serve as the nodal research and coordination agency.
The ‘Pune Growth Hub’ project was officially launched on August 1, 2025, at Yashada, Pune, where a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between NITI Aayog, the Planning Department, Government of Maharashtra, and the Pune International Centre to develop an integrated economic development roadmap for the Pune Metropolitan Region.
