Maharashtra Chief Minister (CM) Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday virtually laid the foundation stone for an Amazon Web Services (AWS) data centre in the state, marking the beginning of the company’s USD 8.3 billion investment in Maharashtra.
Had a productive meeting with Michael Punke, VP Global Public Policy @awscloud who was joined by Sandeep Dutta, CEO of AWS India and his entire senior management team.
We remotely laid the foundation of AWS’s first Data Centre in Maharashtra which is part of their $8.4 billion… pic.twitter.com/SyyE0mdBbb
— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) September 23, 2025
The virtual ceremony took place at the CM`s official residence, Varsha.
According to the news agency PTI, in an official release, Fadnavis stated that this data centre project represents the first phase of AWS’s substantial investment, following a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed earlier this year at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
“Maharashtra has emerged as the country’s most attractive investment destination, securing the highest commitments even at Davos. We are focused on ensuring ease of doing business by shortening approval timelines, simplifying processes, and providing real-time updates on proposals through a dedicated war room,” the CM stated.
In addition, CM Fadnavis inaugurated India’s first ‘Think Big Mobile Van’ under the Amazon Mobile STEM Lab initiative, aimed at exposing students in Mumbai to cutting-edge technology, research, and innovative learning opportunities.
CM Fadnavis reviews pod taxi project to tackle BKC congestion
The state government believes pod taxis could help strengthen Mumbai’s transport to provide better last-mile connectivity, especially in the busy Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) area, where there is high footfall. On Monday, Chief Minister Devendra Fadavis chaired a review meeting on implementing this futuristic urban transport system as a modern solution for Mumbai’s mobility.
The CM opined that a pod taxi service will be important in the “business district” between Kurla and Bandra railway station. He even mentioned that bullet trains and the new Bombay High Court complex will increase traffic in the area and will likely add pressure on the existing transport system. “Pod taxis can provide citizens an easy and delay-free travel experience,” Fadnavis said.
mid-day reported earlier that the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) commissioned a survey to understand the technical and economic feasibility of a pod taxi service. The authority had plans to levy fares at R21 per km.
The report further mentioned that the pod taxi corridor is planned to stretch 13.5 km with 54 stations by 2041, including major terminals at Bandra, Kurla and Sion railway stations. In the first phase, 38 stations covering 8.8 km are expected to be ready by 2027, with Bandra and Kurla serving as key terminals and links to Metro stations.
(With PTI inputs)
