Speaking at the NW18 Rising Bharat West Edition programme, Fadnavis outlined the vision for a new metropolitan centre around the Atal Setu (Trans-Harbour Link) and the Navi Mumbai International Airport, with the Navi Mumbai Airport Influence Notified Area (NAINA) emerging as the focal point of the proposed development.
The initiative is being designed to go beyond conventional urban expansion, creating a planned city with specialised clusters dedicated to education, healthcare, technology and multinational business operations.
Fadnavis said Mumbai 3.0 would be developed as a completely new and better-planned city, with thematic urban centres forming the foundation of a new economic ecosystem. The NAINA region is expected to emerge as a planned extension of Mumbai, supported by new infrastructure and economic activity.
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has been designated as the nodal agency responsible for overseeing the project. Infrastructure major Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has recently been awarded a contract for infrastructure development under one of the upcoming city's packages. The contract is expected to support the pace of development.
The project is being planned with a particular focus on generating employment and attracting large-scale investments.
One of the key components of Mumbai 3.0 is Edu City, which is expected to become a major educational centre featuring international institutions and foreign universities.
The proposed education hub will have the capacity to accommodate approximately one lakh students for education and residential purposes. According to Fadnavis, between 12 and 15 foreign universities are expected to be established in Edu City, of which seven to eight have already begun their work.
Healthcare infrastructure is another major focus of the plan, with a dedicated Medicity proposed as part of the new urban development.
The state government is planning to bring some of the world's leading and globally recognised hospitals to the proposed Medicity. The healthcare hub is expected to strengthen medical infrastructure while supporting related economic activities in the emerging urban centre.
Mumbai 3.0 will also include an Innovation City focused on emerging technologies, including deep technology and artificial intelligence (AI). The proposed hub is intended to attract investments in these future-oriented technology sectors.
A separate Global Capability Centre (GCC) hub is also planned to capitalise on the expansion of multinational companies' global capability centres. The hub will cater to technology, research, analytics and other business operations.
Fadnavis said the combination of these specialised hubs would generate employment opportunities across different skill levels, ranging from high-paying professional roles to mid-level jobs.
He said the development of a new city would also lead to the creation of a new economic system, describing Mumbai 3.0 as an urban development initiative of a scale not seen in India for a long time.
Connectivity is expected to play a central role in the development of the new metropolitan centre.
The Atal Setu has significantly improved connectivity between Mumbai and the mainland areas of Navi Mumbai, while the new international airport is strengthening the region's aviation-based economic potential.
The government aims to leverage these transport and aviation links to make education, healthcare, technology and multinational business operations the key drivers of development.
With infrastructure, specialised urban clusters and international institutions forming the core of the proposed Mumbai 3.0, the initiative is being positioned as a major expansion of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, with the potential to reshape its economic landscape and create new avenues for investment and employment.
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