The Maharashtra state Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, has approved the Maharashtra Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy 2026, which aims to attract over ₹10,000 crore (approximately $1.2 billion USD) in investments and generate 150,000 jobs by 2031. The policy seeks to establish Maharashtra as a national hub for AI development, focusing on responsible and inclusive use. Key initiatives include the creation of a Maharashtra AI Mission, five AI innovation cities, and six sectoral Centres of Excellence in areas such as healthcare and agriculture. The government plans to train 200,000 youth and professionals, and aims to create a common computing backbone with 2,000 GPUs accessible to government departments. To support small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), a 20% subsidy on AI adoption will be offered to 5,000 businesses, along with a ₹500 crore venture fund for AI startups. The policy also emphasizes the importance of local language datasets and a governance framework for responsible AI implementation, including annual audits across government departments.