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Mumbai and Maharashtra are progressively emerging arsenic large destinations for planetary concern crossed infrastructure, cleanable energy, acquisition and exertion sectors, Consul Generals from Australia and Finland said during a sheet treatment connected the State’s maturation opportunities.
Speaking astatine a sheet treatment during The Hindu’s Maharashtra Infrastructure Conclave 2026, which was held successful Mumbai connected Friday (May 22, 2026), Australian Consul General Paul Murphy said that the gait of infrastructure improvement successful Mumbai and different parts of Maharashtra had been ‘astounding’, citing metro obstruction expansion, road connectivity, and municipality transport projects arsenic large drivers of capitalist confidence.
Public infrastructure investments
“As a foreigner coming to Mumbai and Maharashtra, it genuinely is astounding to witnesser the gait of transformation,” Mr. Murphy said, highlighting projects specified arsenic the Coastal Road, metro obstruction systems, and emerging transport corridors.
Calling Mumbai the Indian metropolis astir visited by Australian concern delegations, Mr. Murphy said Australian companies were progressively looking astatine Maharashtra arsenic a semipermanent concern destination crossed infrastructure, transport, engineering services, renewable energy, and sports infrastructure. Companies were besides looking astatine India’s increasing electrical mobility ecosystem, including electrical autobus leasing and cleanable vigor partnerships.
Mr. Murphy said renewable vigor practice betwixt India and Australia had gained value amid increasing planetary concerns astir vigor information and proviso chains. “Australia has important expertise successful rooftop star integration and cleanable vigor systems, portion India is going to beryllium a large portion of the planetary cleanable vigor solution due to the fact that of the standard of its system and manufacturing capabilities,” helium added.
The Consul General besides highlighted the relation of Mumbai arsenic a planetary engineering and services hub.
Finland’s Consul General Erik Hallstrom, portion stressing the value of strengthening nationalist transport systems, said Mumbai’s translation implicit the past fewer years has been significant. He pointed to Coastal Road and Metro enlargement projects.
“What this metropolis needs is much nationalist transport — much metro lines, buses and integrated transport systems,” Mr. Hallstrom said, adding that municipality mobility besides required a displacement successful nationalist mindset to stray distant from dependence connected backstage vehicles.
The diplomat noted that portion Mumbai remained India’s fiscal capital, determination was increasing contention among States specified arsenic Karnataka and Telangana successful attracting planetary investments.
He said Finnish companies were peculiarly funny successful sectors specified arsenic sustainability, circular system solutions, greenish technologies, and education. Finnish firms were already progressive successful projects related to municipality planning, biology restoration, and sustainability initiatives, helium said, portion emphasising that improvement projects should see section and indigenous communities.
Referring to the projected India-European Union Free Trade Agreement, the Finnish Consul General said it could assistance amended marketplace entree and fortify assurance among European investors looking to grow operations successful India.
Education assemblage concern successful Maharashtra
On education, Mr. Hallstrom said Finnish schooling models had already recovered a beingness successful parts of Mumbai and Maharashtra via collaborations with section universities.
Mr. Murphy, connected the different hand, pointed that acquisition remained 1 of the strongest pillars of the India-Australia relationship, with astir 120,000 Indian students studying successful Australia. Australian universities were actively exploring enlargement opportunities successful India, helium said. “The accidental is important due to the fact that students tin entree international-quality acquisition astatine perchance little costs portion remaining connected to household and section networks,” the Australian Consul General added.
While Finland is renowned world-over for its superior acquisition models, Australia connected the different manus is known for its higher acquisition sector.
Challenges for overseas investors
The sheet treatment besides discussed challenges faced by overseas investors, with Mr. Murphy saying businesses often sought regulatory clarity and streamlined support systems. “What helps tremendously is erstwhile states supply businesslike single-window mechanisms for approvals and concern facilitation,” helium said.
Despite challenges, some diplomats expressed optimism astir Mumbai’s semipermanent trajectory arsenic a planetary economical and innovation hub.
Asked astir what they liked astir astir Mumbai, Mr. Murphy pointed to the city’s evolving skyline and nationalist spaces, portion Mr. Hallstrom said it was ‘the people’ that stood retired the most.
Ending the treatment connected a lighter note, the diplomats were besides asked astir what they thought was the ‘worst’ happening astir Mumbai.
Mr. Hallstrom said that Mumbai inactive had gaps successful municipality infrastructure and cleanliness successful definite areas, particularly successful examination to cities similar Dubai oregon Singapore. He, however, added that Mumbai was gradually changing.
Mr. Murphy, meanwhile, jokingly pointed to the city’s seemingly endless roadwork. “My driveway is ne'er rather finished. It gets dug up each 2nd day,” helium remarked.
