Second Edition of Pune Public Policy Festival Wraps Up with ‘Inclusive Growth’ taking centre stage, CM Fadnavis highlights Maharashtra’s $1 Trillion roadmap for India’s growth

National, 17th January 2025: The second edition of the Pune Public Policy Festival, a flagship event hosted at the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics (GIPE) and Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute (BORI), successfully concluded on January 11, 2025. Over two highly engaging days, the festival featured an exclusive lineup of policymakers, thought leaders, and practitioners who discussed how India can chart its course toward economic change, with notable participants including Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, German Ambassador to India Philipp Ackermann and the Former Foreign Secretary of India Vijay Gokhale among other prominent figures.
The Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, inaugurated the event on January 9th, which Australia’s High Commissioner to India and Ambassador to Bhutan, Philip Green OAM, attended. The state’s CM presented an ambitious roadmap for the state’s economy. “We are committed to transforming Maharashtra into a USD 1 trillion economy by the end of this decade”, he said, highlighting the state’s strategic focus on fostering business investments and driving economic growth. This vision is a part of the broader scheme of Maharashtra to establish itself as the powerhouse of India’s economy.
The first day of the festival included dynamic conversations, with an introductory keynote by O.P. Choudhary, Minister of Finance, Chhattisgarh, Shekhar Singh, Commissioner of Pimpri Chinchwad. The panels delved into a range of topics, including the economic impact of entertainment, with Shibasish Sarkar, Group CEO, Reliance Entertainment contributing valuable perspectives. Other key discussions focused on geopolitical shifts in a post-Trump world, sustainable urban growth, and green energy transitions. The day wrapped up with talks on scaling social impact and innovation, as well as the role of science and technology in shaping policy and the expansion of GIFT City. The panel discussions also featured Paul Murphy, Consul-General of Australia in Mumbai, Government of Australia and Aseem Gupta, Principal Secretary of the Urban Development Department, Government of Maharashtra.
In a similar insightful discussion with former Indian Diplomat Vijay Gokhale, German Ambassador Philipp Ackermann raised several contemporary global political issues, focusing on US constitutional evolution and German migration laws. He said, “We are trying to achieve a reduction in illegal migration while promoting legal migration. Germany maintains the most liberal immigration laws in the western world while protecting its fundamental asylum policies. As for the probability of toppling the 22nd amendment, it is so small”.
On the second day, the panels explored India’s economic potential, education reforms, and health innovations, featuring leaders like Naushad Forbes, Co-Chairman of Forbes Marshall, Christian Franz, Co-founder and Partner at CPC Analytics, Bazil Sheikh, Former Secretary to the Board, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Swati Vasudevan, Managing Director, Khan Academy India. A masterclass on crypto policy and a session on digital public infrastructure rounded out the day. Followed by a closing keynote by Ashwini Vaishnaw emphasizing the vision for “Viksit Bharat.”
In his special keynote speech Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, “India’s economy is built on robust foundations, achieving consistent 6-8% real growth through a well-calibrated strategy for sustainable development,” said Ashwini Vaishnaw. “With inflation managed within 4-6% and government debt at 57-58% of GDP, the focus remains on compounding growth effects and maintaining a healthy balance sheet.”
The festival served as a crucial platform for dialogue on policy formation, economic strategies, and international cooperation, reinforcing Pune’s position as a key center for policy discourse in India.