Maharashtra’s leadership as India’s growth engine is driven not by incentives but by confidence—confidence in leadership, policy, and delivery, said Jaykumar Rawal, Hon’ble Minister of Protocol, Agro Marketing,
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and Diaspora Outreach, Government of Maharashtra, while addressing the CII Mumbai International Summit 2025.
The Hon’ble Minister said that Mumbai is a rare global city where capital, talent and ambition converge every day and still find room to grow. “Mumbai does not wait for the future; it fast-tracks it and confidently invites the world to keep pace,” he said, highlighting the city’s role as a gateway for global trade, innovation and sustainable growth.
These views were echoed at the CII Mumbai International Summit 2025, which brought together global leaders, policymakers, diplomats and industry captains to deliberate on Mumbai’s expanding role as a global economic, innovation and partnership hub.
Describing Mumbai as an idea as much as a city, Mr Rishi Kumar Bagla, Chairman, CII Western Region, said that Mumbai represents ambition and reinvention. As India’s financial and commercial capital evolves into a global gateway, he stressed that business must move beyond growth alone to deliver purpose, sustainability and long-term societal value.
Underscoring industry’s leadership role, Mr Vir S Advani, Deputy Chairman, CII Western Region, said Mumbai will be central to India’s journey towards becoming a multi-trillion-dollar economy. He called upon industry to lead with vision, sustained investment and responsible leadership to unlock the next phase of growth.
Highlighting Mumbai’s rapid transformation, Mr Vaibhav Vohra, Chairman, CII Mumbai International Summit 2025, noted that the city’s next phase is being shaped by landmark infrastructure projects, including the Navi Mumbai International Airport, new link roads and world-class expressways. He added that as climate action, digital and green transitions and geopolitics reshape the global economy, Mumbai is positioning itself not merely as an economic centre but as a platform for global solutions.
Reinforcing the global role of cities, Mr José Mauro da Fonseca Costa Couto, Consul General Designate of Brazil in Mumbai, observed that cities such as Mumbai are now global actors, creating new opportunities for innovation, trade, cultural exchange and sustainable development through international partnerships.
Reflecting on the international economic landscape, Mr Harjinder Singh Kang, HM Trade Commissioner to South Asia and British Deputy High Commissioner to Western India, said India–UK relations are at their strongest in decades. He described the recently concluded future-ready Free Trade Agreement as a milestone built on shared ambition and trust, noting that Mumbai sits at the heart of this growing partnership.
The CII Mumbai International Summit 2025 reaffirmed Mumbai’s position as India’s most globally connected city, seamlessly integrating infrastructure, policy confidence, industry leadership and international collaboration to shape the future of global growth and sustainable development.
