AI, agri focus in ₹7L cr Maha budget

MAHARASHTRA Finance Minister and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Monday tabled a mammoth ₹7.20 lakh-crore budget for 2025-26, focusing on using AI technology to spur agriculture growth and bring more land under irrigation through river-linking and irrigation projects.

- SUDHIR SURYAWANSHI @ Mumbai

The annual receipts are pegged at ₹5.60 lakh crore against revenue expenditure of ₹6.06 lakh crore.

It estimates the revenue deficit at ₹45,892 crore and a fiscal deficit of ₹1,36,234 crore.

The state government has also imposed and increased taxes on motor vehicles, making specific vehicle categories expensive to rake in additional annual revenue of ₹1,500 crore.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis lauded the state budget, saying that only Uttar Pradesh has such a huge outlay.

Pawar said the majority of the budgetary allocation is earmarked for agriculture.

"The state economic survey report revealed 8% growth in agriculture against three percent last year. Therefore, we are pushing agriculture sector growth by bringing innovative technology such as AI to provide crop planning advice to farmers to reduce costs and increase productivity."