Pune: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that the proposed Mumbai–Pune Bullet Train project will reduce travel time between the two cities to just 48 minutes, transforming Mumbai and Pune into an integrated economic region. He also outlined the state government’s vision to position Maharashtra as a major global supply chain hub through improved logistics and industrial infrastructure.
Fadnavis was speaking at the inauguration of Jabil’s advanced manufacturing expansion project at Ranjangaon Industrial Area in Pune district. The event was attended by Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting and Electronics & IT Ashwini Vaishnaw, MLAs Dilip Walse Patil and Dnyaneshwar Katke, senior state officials, and Jabil executives.
Maharashtra Strengthening Position in Electronics, Data Centres and Semiconductor Manufacturing
Highlighting Maharashtra’s industrial growth, Fadnavis said the state is emerging as India’s leading data centre hub, with nearly 60% of the country’s data centre capacity being developed in Maharashtra. He said the government is committed to creating a complete ecosystem for data centres, deep-tech industries, electronics manufacturing, semiconductor production, and chip fabrication.
The Chief Minister noted that Maharashtra has also achieved leadership in electronics exports, adding that the electronics cluster approved by the Central Government will further accelerate industrial growth in the state.
Dedicated Freight Rail Corridor Proposed to Connect Ports and Industrial Zones
Fadnavis revealed that he has proposed to Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw the creation of a dedicated freight rail corridor connecting Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) and the upcoming Vadhvan Port through the Samruddhi Mahamarg corridor.
According to the proposal, the freight network would extend to Jalna, the dry port at Wardha, and further to Gadchiroli, reducing logistics costs by 7–8% and significantly strengthening Maharashtra’s role in international supply chains.
He added that Maharashtra currently contributes around 14% to India’s GDP and nearly 20% of the country’s exports.
Jabil Expansion Reflects India’s Growing Manufacturing Strength
Calling Jabil’s expansion a symbol of India’s rising manufacturing capabilities, Fadnavis said the precision engineering, advanced technology and innovation showcased at the facility reflect the country’s growing strength in electronics production.
He said that after achieving self-reliance in mobile phone manufacturing, India is now making major progress in semiconductor and chip manufacturing.
The Chief Minister assured industries that the government considers itself a partner to businessesand will continue providing support to improve ease of doing business. He also indicated a positive decision on establishing a dedicated MSEDCL divisional office in the Ranjangaon region.
Fadnavis added that law and order in industrial belts would be further strengthened and warned that unlawful activities affecting industries would not be tolerated.
Ashwini Vaishnaw: India Becoming a Trusted Global Electronics Manufacturing Destination
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw praised Jabil’s Pune facility and said India is rapidly becoming a trusted global electronics manufacturing destination.
He credited land reforms and faster decision-making under the Maharashtra government for encouraging industrial investments. According to Vaishnaw, India’s electronics manufacturing industry has grown to ₹13 lakh crore, with electronics now becoming the country’s third-largest export category.
He also highlighted that four semiconductor projects are currently underway in India and said major railway infrastructure projects are progressing across Maharashtra.
Speaking about future connectivity, Vaishnaw said the Mumbai–Pune Bullet Train would enable travel in 48 minutes, while the proposed Pune–Hyderabad high-speed corridor could reduce travel time to around 2 hours and 8 minutes.
Jabil Expands Manufacturing Footprint in India
Jabil Managing Director B.N. Shukla said the company’s total manufacturing space in India has increased from 5 lakh sq ft to 12 lakh sq ft in the past year, while employee strength has grown from 5,000 to nearly 11,000.
Jabil Executive Vice President (Operations) Andy Priestley said the new facility will combine skilled manpower with engineering capabilities to accelerate the production of high-quality products.
