Maharashtra Chief Minister (CM) Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday emphasised that achieving the vision of Viksit Maharashtra 2047 will only be possible with greater participation of women in the state’s development process. He was speaking at the two-day 'Shakti Samvad' programme, jointly organised by the National Commission for Women (NCW) and the Maharashtra State Commission for Women, at Hotel Trident in Mumbai.

Fadnavis underlined that the government is committed to the social, economic, and overall empowerment of women, adding that discussions during Shakti Samvad will pave the way for strategic decisions on women’s security and empowerment. “Gender equality is key to building a developed economy. From ‘Beti Bachao – Beti Padhao’ to ‘Lakhpati Didi’, several schemes are transforming lives. The state is determined to make one crore women economically independent,” he said.

The CM also noted that the Maharashtra Government is already offering free education for girls from ‘KG to PG’ and has launched initiatives such as the 'Ladki Bahin Yojana', which provides a monthly support of Rs 1,500 to 2.5 crore women, boosting small businesses and credit societies. CM Fadnavis also flagged challenges such as cybercrimes, including deepfakes, and stressed the need for collective efforts to support victims and instil gender sensitivity from an early age.