A senior delegation from Austria visited the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) in Mumbai, with a key highlight being their tour of the Atal Setu.
Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer, Austria’s Federal Minister for Economy, Energy, and Tourism, inspected the bridge and commended its scale, engineering excellence, and emergency response systems. The delegation also carried out a surprise inspection of emergency services on the bridge, which received favourable feedback, according to an official statement. The visit emphasised the role of world-class infrastructure in fostering stronger global partnerships.
The delegation was hosted by MMRDA at its headquarters in Bandra Kurla Complex, where discussions centred on collaboration in infrastructure, innovation, and sustainable urban development.
Devendra Fadnavis addressed the delegation virtually, inviting Austrian companies and institutions to participate in Maharashtra’s development journey. He reiterated the state’s goal of becoming a USD 1 trillion economy.
Fadnavis said, “Maharashtra is committed to strengthening global partnerships to support infrastructure-led growth and sustainable development. Austria’s expertise in engineering, innovation, and technology presents strong opportunities for collaboration. We welcome Austrian participation in shaping the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and look forward to a constructive partnership. I am confident that this engagement will evolve into a strong and enduring partnership anchored in infrastructure, technology, investment, and sustainable urban development.”
A significant outcome of the visit was Austria submitting a Letter of Intent (LoI) to MMRDA, outlining potential cooperation in tunnelling and underground infrastructure, technology transfer, academic partnerships, industrial collaboration, and tourism.
Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde highlighted Maharashtra’s growing appeal as a global investment destination, with MMRDA playing a key role in major infrastructure initiatives. Metropolitan Commissioner Sanjay Mukherjee noted rising international interest in Mumbai following global outreach efforts.
Mukherjee said, “MMRDA is witnessing growing interest from global partners who recognise the scale and significance of infrastructure development underway in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Following the strong response received at Davos, we are seeing increasing engagement from countries and institutions keen to collaborate with us.”
Source: Mid-day
