Mumbai to benefit from rail, metro and MSME push in Union Budget 2026: Satam

Mumbai BJP President and MLA Ameet Satam on Sunday welcomed the Union Budget presented by the Modi government, calling it development-oriented, growth-focused, and pragmatic.

He said the budget includes several major initiatives that will accelerate Mumbai’s development and create employment opportunities.

Speaking to the media in Mumbai, Satam said the budget supports India’s journey towards becoming Vishwa Guru. He added that India has now become the world’s fourth-largest economy and one of the fastest to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Referring to the budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Satam highlighted the announcement of seven high-speed rail corridors across the country. One of these will be the Mumbai-Pune corridor, which he said will make travel between the two cities faster and more convenient.

He also spoke about the tax exemptions announced for tunnel boring machine (TBM) manufacturers, saying this will greatly benefit Mumbai’s ambitious “Paatal Lok” project.

Conceptualised by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the project aims to build a 70-kilometre underground tunnel network to ease traffic congestion in the city.

13 metro projects under construction

Satam said Mumbai currently has 13 metro projects under construction and was heavily dependent on imported TBMs, mainly from China.

“The tax exemption for domestic TBM manufacturers will reduce dependence on imports and encourage local production. This will significantly help the Paatal Lok project,” he said.

The BJP leader also welcomed the announcement of ‘SHE-Marts’, which will strengthen women’s self-help groups. He said these malls will benefit women engaged in self-employment, especially in urban areas. He further noted that municipal bonds worth over Rs 1,000 crore in large cities will receive an incentive grant of Rs 100 crore.

According to him, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Asia’s largest municipal body, will gain significantly from this initiative.

MSME sector recognised

Satam also highlighted the financial assistance announced for the Indian Institute of Creative Technology in Mumbai.

The institute will help set up Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics content creator laboratories in 15,000 secondary schools and 500 colleges across the country.

He added that the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector has been recognised as a growth engine in the budget, with liquidity support of Rs 7 lakh crore.

“Mumbai has a large number of registered MSMEs," he said.

This decision will boost industrial growth and generate employment, Satam added.