“By 2028, we will be able to travel by bullet train,” Fadnavis said, admitting that neighboring Gujarat is ahead of the project development in Maharashtra.
Fadnavis said that creating infrastructure is very important to achieve the goal of $1 trillion in GSDP and that during his first tenure as Chief Minister in 2014-19, he invested $30 billion in infrastructure creation and now put more money into important projects.
Speaking at the event of the Central Eastern European Economic Corridor (IMEEC) project organized by VRF here, he said that the Vadhavan port will be operational within the next 3-4 years.
He said the port, built on recycled land, would help reduce logistics costs, noting that the largest container port in India, JNPA, has a higher turnover time. Fadnavis said the Vadawan Port will also establish an adjoining airport that will be built through land reclamation at sea, adding that many major cities in the world have such airports. This will also stop the bullet train, Fadnavis said.
The Chief Minister said the highway from Nashik to Vadhavan Port is being built in Maharashtra, which will ensure 17 areas of the state have links to modern ports.
Fadnavis said the state is building the Shaktipeeth motorway to connect Nagpur to Goa, adding that the road project will also help boost economic growth through the backwards.
He said Mumbai and Maharashtra will play an important role in the IMEEC and guarantee that the state will create a promotional ecosystem that promotes the project.
Speaking at the same event, Sanjeev Krishan, president of consulting firm PwC, said the corridor, combined with existing trade routes, would have a multiplier impact on the global economy.
