Mumbai Stays True to Itself: No Need to Mimic Shanghai or Singapore, Says CM Devendra Fadnavis

Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis asserted on Wednesday that Mumbai should embrace its unique identity rather than striving to emulate cities like Shanghai or Singapore, suggesting instead that other places should aim to be more like Mumbai.

Speaking at the CNN-News18 Townhall in Mumbai, Fadnavis responded to a query about transforming the city into a global counterpart. “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,” he explained.

He acknowledged ongoing challenges in infrastructure and housing but highlighted progress since 2014, noting visible changes and promising further advancements. “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.

Emphasizing Mumbai’s appeal, 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 pointed to key initiatives driving the city’s evolution, including the Dharavi redevelopment. “Dharavi is a transformational project through which we will provide proper, permanent housing with all necessary facilities to 10 lakh people,” he noted.

On broader development, he discussed the ‘Third Mumbai’ project emerging between the Atal Setu and Navi Mumbai airport. “This new Mumbai is a futuristic city. It 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,” the chief minister shared.

He also mentioned that a bullet train service is expected in Mumbai within the next two to three years.

Fadnavis criticized past administrations for stalling Mumbai’s growth over the previous 25 years, attributing it to what he called chronic capitalism by those in power at the time.