Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar will present the Maharashtra Budget for 2025-26 on Monday, marking the first financial document under the newly-formed Mahayuti-NDA government. The presentation, scheduled for 2 pm, comes at a crucial juncture for the state, grappling with significant financial challenges, including a debt burden that exceeds Rs 8 lakh crore.
This will be Pawar’s 11th budget as Finance Minister and is expected to blend populist welfare schemes with infrastructure development and economic growth. With local body elections looming in major cities like Mumbai, Pune, and Nagpur, the budget is anticipated to contain measures that will strengthen the government’s appeal to voters.
One of the most highly anticipated announcements is the expansion of the Mukhya Mantri Ladki Bahin Yojana, a cash transfer scheme for women launched in 2024. Currently, women aged 21-65 years from families with an annual income below Rs 2.5 lakh receive Rs 1,500 per month. However, reports suggest the government plans to increase this amount to Rs 2,100 per month, fulfilling pre-election promises. By December 2024, over Rs 17,505.90 crore had already been disbursed to 2.38 crore beneficiaries. The scheme’s total expenditure from July 2024 to March 2025 is expected to reach Rs 33,300 crore, marking it as one of the largest welfare initiatives in Maharashtra’s history.
Despite the pressure to sustain such welfare schemes, the government is also focusing on industrial growth and infrastructure development. Maharashtra signed MoUs worth Rs 15.70 lakh crore during the World Economic Forum in Davos, indicating aggressive plans for industrial expansion in the coming years.
The Economic Survey of Maharashtra for 2024-25 estimates the state’s debt at Rs 7,82,991 crore, with interest payments of Rs 56,727 crore. However, the state’s debt-to-GSDP ratio stands at 17.3%, remaining well within the prescribed fiscal limit of 25%, ensuring fiscal stability. Maharashtra’s economy is projected to grow at 7.3%, surpassing the national GDP growth of 6.5%.
Ajit Pawar is known for his symbolic budget presentations. In 2021, he dedicated the budget to women on International Women’s Day, and in 2022, he honoured Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj on his death anniversary. His past budgets have focused on agriculture, industry, transportation, healthcare, and employment.