August 14, 2025: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis emphasised on Wednesday that Mumbai does not need to emulate cities like Singapore or Shanghai, instead asserting that other cities should aspire to be like Mumbai. Speaking at the CNN-News18 Townhall, Mumbai edition, Fadnavis said, “Mumbai will remain Mumbai — why should we try to make it like Shanghai or Singapore? Mumbai has its own character, and I believe that character is even better than that of Shanghai or Singapore.”
Addressing questions on infrastructure and housing, he noted that while gaps exist, efforts to bridge them have been underway since 2014. “There are only a few infrastructure gaps in Mumbai, and some gaps in housing. We need to bridge those, and we began that work in 2014. Now, you can already see the transformation, and in the next five years, you’ll see even more,” Fadnavis said. He added, “Why should we try to become like Shanghai or Singapore? People should focus on building a city like Mumbai, and we should prepare the city accordingly.”
Fadnavis highlighted the Dharavi housing project as a significant milestone in the city’s transformation. “Dharavi is a transformational project through which we will provide proper, permanent housing with all necessary facilities to 10 lakh people,” he said.
He also outlined plans for the development of ‘Third Mumbai’ between Atal Setu and Navi Mumbai airport, describing it as a futuristic city. “This new Mumbai includes an ‘Edu City’ where seven top-ranked global universities have already come in, and five more are on the way. Just today, I finalised talks with another leading university,” Fadnavis added. He also confirmed that Mumbai will have a bullet train within the next two to three years.
Criticizing previous administrations, Fadnavis claimed that chronic mismanagement had stalled Mumbai’s development over the past 25 years. The Chief Minister’s remarks underscore his vision for a uniquely Mumbai-centric growth model, as he launches ambitious infrastructure and housing projects to redefine the city’s future.
