Fadnavis Rebuts Pawar On Company Closures, Outlines Plans For Chakan
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday responded to NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar regarding the reported closure of 36,211 companies in the state, asserting that the figure does not reflect Maharashtra's actual industrial health.
In a detailed post addressed to Pawar, Fadnavis said the data cited in Parliament lacked wider context. He stated that approximately 76 per cent of the companies listed as closed were defunct entities that had never started operations. He noted that outside the Covid period, an average of 20,000 to 22,000 companies are closed annually nationwide, with 76 per cent being defunct, 12 per cent closed due to amalgamation, and 2 per cent through dissolution.
Fadnavis maintained that Maharashtra continues to lead the country in registered enterprises, recording 3,96,211 companies as of June 3, 2026, ahead of Delhi's 2,72,342 and Uttar Pradesh's 1,85,982. He also stated that Maharashtra registered 41,525 new companies in 2025-26, topping the national list ahead of Uttar Pradesh and Delhi.
The exchange followed concerns raised by Pawar a day earlier regarding industrial units in Pune district's Chakan industrial area. Pawar claimed that 20 companies employing over 2,000 workers had decided to relocate from Chakan due to persistent issues with traffic congestion, pollution, water supply, electricity, and poor road conditions. Pawar called on the state government to intervene, improve infrastructure in Chakan and Talegaon, and enhance coordination among MIDC, PMRDA, PWD, and NHAI.
Addressing the specific concerns in Chakan, Fadnavis acknowledged the infrastructure challenges and said Industries Minister Uday Samant had been directed to resolve them. He noted that an inter-agency meeting involving the district administration, Public Works Department, PMRDA, NHAI, and Zilla Parishad was held on August 12 to assess the situation.
Fadnavis stated that both short-term and long-term plans have been formulated to tackle the infrastructure deficiencies, affirming the government's aim to ensure that not a single industry leaves the Chakan industrial belt.
