Maharashtra is set to become India’s next artificial intelligence (AI) hub, with a comprehensive policy framework aimed at fostering innovation, attracting investments, and upskilling the workforce.
Speaking at the ET Legal World Global Legal Convention 2025, Ashish Shelar, Minister of Information Technology and Cultural Affairs, outlined the state’s ambitious plans to position Maharashtra at the forefront of AI and digital transformation.
During the session, Shelar highlighted the government’s commitment to leveraging AI for governance, business growth, and legal technology advancements. “Our entire AI policy of the federal government is set up on the seven pillars and obviously the base of the same is a golden database,” he stated.
Building an AI-Driven Maharashtra
The Maharashtra government has established an AI task force comprising industry leaders from Microsoft, Amazon, Mahindra, and top academic institutions. This task force is expected to deliver a state AI policy within three months. Additionally, the government is working on setting up MahaHub, an AI innovation center, with top industrialists like Kumar Mangalam Birla, Anand Mahindra, and Anant Ambani as directors.
“We wanted to have a skillful human resource so we tap with our higher technological department we are setting up a center of excellence for AI and futuristic technologies and eventually we have first of its own kind AI university in Mumbai itself we already rolled out the policy we already set up the expert groups,” Shelar added.
Revamping Maharashtra’s Startup and Tech Landscape
The Minister acknowledged that Maharashtra had lost some ground in the startup ecosystem but assured that the government is making concerted efforts to regain its position. “The business needs to come to Maharashtra and that’s when we have to achieve this economical growth this fantastic economic growth of one trillion dollar for the Maharashtra the IT, tech, AI unicorn all these things is focus on which we have given set up a very good policy to make them and give them the subsidies the lands, the special rates or the tariffs and everything to make them to come here,” he added,.Shelar also emphasized the integration of AI in legal technology, stating that the government is working on legal tracking systems to monitor litigation involving the state. This initiative will ensure timely responses to legal matters and prevent delays in governance-related litigations.
Cybersecurity and Data Protection
Shelar revealed that Maharashtra is establishing its own state-owned data center in Nagpur for data protection. “We have finalized the place in Nagpur shortly the tender will come and maybe next year you will see that Maharashtra’s state data center state of its art and the resilience to all these cyber attacks and all the things taken into the consideration we will have for this state,” he revealed.
Collaborating with Legal and Tech Startups
Shelar expressed openness to collaborating with legal tech startups to enhance dispute resolution and streamline governance. “We are exploring partnerships with private enterprises and legal professionals to develop AI-driven solutions for faster dispute resolution,” he said.
Future Roadmap and Policy Revisions
Looking ahead, Shelar hinted at revisiting Maharashtra’s 2023 IT policy to incorporate emerging technologies like quantum computing, AI, and blockchain. He emphasized that the state is committed to adapting regulations to match the evolving tech landscape.
Concluding the session, Shelar affirmed Maharashtra’s ambition to become a trillion-dollar digital economy, leveraging AI, cybersecurity, and innovation. “Our vision is clear: Maharashtra will be the leader in AI and digital transformation,” he said.
With this roadmap, Maharashtra is poised to emerge as a dominant player in India’s AI revolution, bridging the gap between policy, technology, and business.
