Just 7 districts in Maharashtra account for 54% of GSDP, says govt report

Mumbai: Only seven out of 36 districts in Maharashtra contribute 54 per cent of the gross state domestic product (GSDP), which stood at Rs 45 lakh crore in 2024, a government report has said, indicating a stark regional imbalance.

These seven districts, where economic activities are largely concentrated in the state, which is considered an economic powerhouse in the country, include two districts of Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur.

The report submitted to the 16th Finance Commission revealed that 18 districts have a growth rate less than 0.8x of the GSDP expansion rate and per capita income below average state income.

GSDP measures the total value of goods and services produced within a state's boundaries during a specific period.

While Maharashtra's per capita income was 148 per cent of the national average, 12 districts in the state have per capita income below the national average, it said.

According to the report, the state government has formulated district strategic plans spanning five years, which are supported by a World Bank project, to accelerate balanced economic growth based on the relative strengths of these 36 administrative units.

The state has increased the district annual plan outlay by 11 per cent to Rs 20,150 crore in the current fiscal to help the administration fund the growth strategies. Collectors have been directed to spend a minimum of 25 per cent in an annual plan to sanction projects identified in the District Strategic Plan (DSP), it said.

Accelerated funding to districts will make growth more even by aiding a rise in income. Additional funding is being provided to aspirational districts and blocks.

Naxal-affected Gadchiroli district in eastern Maharashtra is being developed as a steel hub, the report pointed out.

Districts have been split into three segments based on economic growth and GDP.

The report said more than 50 per cent of the 36 districts are in the third segment (low gross district domestic product or GDDP per capita).

The seven districts that account for most of the economic activities and contribute 54 per cent to the GSDP are Raigad, Nagpur, Pune, Thane, Palghar, Mumbai City and Mumbai Suburban.

In the second segment are 11 districts — Wardha, Chandrapur, Ahilyanagar, Solapur, Satara, Ratnagiri, Sangli, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nashik, Sindhudurg and Kolhapur — whose GSDP contribution was 26 per cent.

While 18 districts — Yavatmal, Amravati, Akola, Nanded, Bhandara, Gondia, Dhule, Jalgaon, Hingoli, Buldhana, Gadchiroli, Nandurbar, Latur, Parbhani, Beed, Washim, Dharashiv and Jalna — contribute 20 per cent to the state GDP, the report added.