An RTI response has unveiled that the COVID-19 pandemic, often seen as a harbinger of economic doom, has provided Maharashtra with an opportunity for growth. The state has harnessed this opportunity to excel in the realms of new micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), employment generation, and investments.
The RTI disclosure, provided to Pune-based entrepreneur Praffull Sarda, demonstrates that Maharashtra continues to lead the nation in terms of the establishment of new industries, job creation, and attracting investments.
During the 30-month tenure of the Shiv Sena (UBT)-Congress-Nationalist Congress Party Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, led by former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray (November 2019-June 2022), the state welcomed 18,68,055 new MSMEs. In contrast, during the five-year administration of then Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who led the BJP-led government until October 2019, the state saw 14,16,224 MSMEs being established.
Similarly, on the employment front, Thackeray’s 30-month rule led to the creation of 88,47,905 jobs, compared to 62,36,878 jobs during Fadnavis’ five-year tenure.
Sarda remarked, “This represents a significant difference of 451,831 MSMEs, or 35 percent higher, and a discrepancy of 26,11,027 new jobs, or 42 percent more, during Thackeray’s government as compared to Fadnavis’ entire term.”
According to the RTI data, at the peak of the pandemic during Thackeray’s tenure, the state recorded 621,296 new enterprises registered with a total employment count of 44,60,149 (2020-2021).
The subsequent year witnessed a rise in new businesses, from 621,296 to 894,674, although new job opportunities dipped slightly, from 44,60,149 to 42,36,436 (2021-2022), according to the response.
Following the removal of the Thackeray government, the number of new enterprises sharply declined from 894,674 to 734,956, and fresh employment opportunities also plummeted significantly from 42,36,436 to 24,94,691 (2022-2023).
The RTI response revealed that between July 2020 and March 2023, an astounding 22.50 lakh new MSMEs were registered in Maharashtra, and nearly 1.12 crore new jobs were created, promising economic prosperity and employment for the state.
“The official figures clearly indicate that the MVA government performed much better despite all hurdles like the pandemic, a hostile BJP-led opposition at the Centre and in the state, and other political or health emergency related challenges that hit the country hard,” noted Sarda.
Historical data suggests that during Fadnavis’ five-year tenure, the state’s economic growth was robust and outpaced many other states in India.
The state attracted 54,045 enterprises with investments of Rs 16,74,238 lakhs, which led to the creation of 5,25,735 jobs (2015-2016). These numbers surged in the subsequent years, reaching 6,11,561 businesses with investments of Rs 70,15,525 lakhs, resulting in 28,73,764 new jobs (2018-2019).
Even after the Thackeray government came to power, the state’s economic engine continued to charge ahead, with 7,04,171 businesses attracting investments of Rs 71,01,067 lakhs and generating 30,26,406 new jobs (2019-2020).
Sarda argued, “This has debunked the claims of the current regime, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Fadnavis, and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, that the state was ‘at a standstill during the pandemic when the MVA ruled.’ The reality is that there seems to be an all-round decline now.”
