Mumbai, Feb 24 Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said that Artificial Intelligence is rapidly transforming the nature of markets and employment.
To build a ready and capable administration, the government has begun prioritising the effective use of ‘AI’ in official operations. He was speaking during an interactive session at the Nasscom Technology and Leadership Forum 2026.
Fadnavis noted that the government is focusing on building a robust Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) by increasing the use of AI within the governance framework. The state is working toward creating an AI-enabled workforce by fostering coordination between educational institutions and the industrial sector.
To facilitate this, a workshop will be organised in Mumbai for all educational institutions in the state. This session will brainstorm the changing nature of job opportunities due to evolving technology and the necessary shifts required in the education system.
He emphasised that if the government, educational institutions, and industry bodies like Nasscom work together, Maharashtra can advance more rapidly in the AI sector.
Fadnavis shared that at the recent World Economic Forum in Davos, Brazilian ministers mentioned that they are developing their own systems based on India's experience with Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). Currently, India is providing global leadership in Digital Public Infrastructure.
Referring to the recently launched ‘AI 4Agri Summit’ in the state, the Chief Minister explained that under the ‘AgriStack’ initiative, details regarding every farmer’s landholding, crop information, and other data are being consolidated. Simultaneously, through the ‘MahaVistar’ AI app, which utilises Generative AI, a personalised digital assistant is being provided to every registered farmer. Currently, 3 million farmers are connected to this platform.
The synergy of ‘AgriStack’ and ‘MahaVistar’ will certainly help farmers reduce production costs by 25-40 per cent and mitigate agricultural uncertainties.
Fadnavis stated that policy-making in the state is now based on the mantra of ‘Policy-Led Growth.’ Various industry organisations were involved while drafting the Global Capability Centres (GCC) policy.
Consequently, reports indicate that Pune has emerged as a leader in the country’s GCC ecosystem. He also mentioned that the Logistics Policy was prepared with the participation of the Logistics Council and is future-oriented, noting that logistics will play a crucial role in supply chain management.
Since the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector generates large-scale employment, work is underway to develop a dedicated policy to increase AI adoption in this sector. This will involve collaboration with Nasscom, CII (Confederation of Indian Industry), and various sector councils, he said.
Regarding the fear that AI will destroy jobs, CM Fadnavis recalled that similar fears were expressed during the computer revolution. However, India leveraged that revolution to make a giant leap in the IT sector.
"AI should be viewed not as a replacement, but as an opportunity for progress. The nature of employment will change, and new opportunities will be created. Today, 'Creator' is a recognised profession; it wasn't even in our imagination ten years ago," he said.
He remarked that the new generation has embraced technology and emphasised that the mindset to accept change is vital.
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