Tourism or business – start your India visit in Maharashtra

The Indian state of Maharashtra and the capital, Mumbai, is situated in the western region of the country – but really it is central to almost everything.

Maharashtra’s gross state domestic product (GSDP) at current prices accounted for 14.89 per cent of India’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2017-18, the highest among all states – valued at US$ 387.36 billion. It’s the economic powerhouse of India.

We know and love the state’s capital, Mumbai, as the commercial and financial capital of India – plus with heaps to interest both business and tourism. The city is home to several global banking and financial service firms, plus India’s stock exchanges.

Pune is a city I really love and recommend not just because it is on the edge of the most beautiful mountain range. It has emerged as the educational hub.

Maharashtra has emerged as a key hub for IT and ITeS, electronics and business outsourcing industries.

The state has a well-developed social, physical and industrial infrastructure. Apart from 16 airports, the state has two major and 48 minor ports. It also has a well-developed power supply grid.

If you are not convinced, look at these numbers:

• At current prices, the contribution of the financial sector to the GSDP of the state increased at a CAGR of 10.51 per cent between 2011-12 and 2016-17.
• From August 1991 to December 2017, a total of 894 projects with an investment of Rs 19,088 crore (US$ 2.96 billion) have been approved for the pharmaceutical industry in the state.
• The government has launched Wi-Fi services, which will connect 500 hotspots across Mumbai, under the smart city project.
• The state has produced 6.55 million bales of cotton in 2017-18*. In 2017-18(P), the state has also produced 184 MT of raw silk.
• Power generation in the state has been steadily increasing. Production figure stood at 124.31 TWH in 2017-18 and 47.19 TWH during April – July 2018.
• Maharashtra accounts for approximately 35.1 per cent of the country’s output of automobiles by value.
• The state has launched Unlimited Maharashtra advertising campaign through newspapers and television channels to attract tourists during summer vacations. A half-hour ferry ride across Mumbai harbor takes visitors to view the superbly carved 1,300 years old cave temple on the little island of Elephanta, a favourite picnic spot.
• In 2017, the state had 119.2 million domestic tourist arrival and 5.08 million foreign tourist arrival.

Mumbai is always on my itinerary for India – and there are many other cities worthy of our attention.

Author: Stephen Manallack

Former President, Australia India Business Council, Victoria and Author, You Can Communicate; Riding the Elephant; Soft Skills for a Flat World (published by Tata McGraw-Hill INDIA); Communicating Your Personal Brand. Director, EastWest Academy Pty Ltd and Trainer/Speaker/Mentor in Leadership, Communication and Cross Cultural Communication. Passionate campaigner for closer western relations with India. Stephen Manallack is a specialist on “Doing Business with India” and advisor/trainer on “Cross-Cultural Understanding”. He is a Director of EastWest Academy Pty Ltd which provides strategic advice and counsel regarding business relations with India. A regular speaker in India on leadership and global communication, his most recent speaking tour included a speech to students of the elite Indian university, Amity University, in Noida. He also spoke at a major Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) global summit, the PR Consultants Association of India in Delhi, the Symbiosis University in Pune and Cross-Cultural Training for Sundaram Business Services in Chennai. He has visited India on business missions on 10 occasions and led three major trade missions there. He provides cross-cultural training – Asia and the west. View all posts by Stephen Manallack