Manufacturing in Maharashtra 2026: Industries, Hubs & Investments

Dennis M, Correspondent, Industry Outlook

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Which Are the Best Manufacturing Hubs in Maharashtra?

Manufacturing Hub	Major Industries
Pune–Chakan–Talegaon	Automotive, EV, engineering, electronics
Mumbai–Thane–Raigad	Chemicals, pharma, engineering
Nashik	Engineering, food, electronics, pharma
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar	Automotive, electronics, food processing
Nagpur	Aerospace, defence, engineering, food

A sixth hub is taking shape further east: JSW Group's proposed Rs 1 lakh crore, 25-million-ton steel plant in Gadchiroli is central to the state's plan to build it into India's next "steel city".

Most of these clusters sit inside MIDC industrial areas. MIDC says it has built about 300 industrial areas covering roughly 1 lakh hectares. These are the main Maharashtra industrial areas for investors.

No single hub wins on every measure. The right choice depends on:

Sector fit: e.g. auto suppliers’ cluster near Chakan, and chemical units near Raigad.
Land cost: it is lower outside the Pune–Mumbai core.
Logistics: ports, expressways and rail access matter differently by product. Pune–Chakan offers the best all-round connectivity today (JNPT 150 km away, its own airport, mature logistics ecosystem), Mumbai-Thane-Raigad have an edge over port access
Utilities and labor: power, water, and skilled and semi-skilled availability vary by location.
Supplier ecosystem: proximity to existing OEMs and vendors often outweighs land price.
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