Nagpur is the main city of the Vidarbha region and the second capital of Maharashtra. It is also the largest and most populous city in central India and a major commercial and trading hub. However, the city’s importance has increased manyfold in the last ten years with rapid growth in its industrial and educational sectors along with added administrative focus. Going forward, Nagpur is slated to see even more prosperity and influx, especially due to its new expressway connectivity with Mumbai via the Samruddhi Mahamarg. And, to cope with that extra pressure, the city’s infrastructure must be upgraded to ensure safe, fast, and environmentally friendly intra-city communication facilities. With that in view, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis presented a Smart Mobility Plan for Nagpur to enhance the intracity mobility in the Nagpur city and district, making it an excellent example of modern urban planning. A Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) worth 25 thousand 567 crore with a sophisticated layout for the city’s expansion to accommodate the expected population growth of Nagpur has been prepared with a long-term perspective. Citizens’ views will also be sought to make the draft of this plan more people-oriented. This plan will be crucial in making Nagpur a smart city.
In a meeting held on July 27, 2025, at Nagpur Metro Bhavan, the CMP was announced and also discussed in detail under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and in the presence of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. With the implementation of the Smart Mobility Plan, Nagpur will see a more coherent and people-oriented public transport system. Although the road and transport infrastructure in the city is currently good, with the increasing population and number of vehicles, providing safe, fast, and environmentally friendly transport facilities to the citizens will be the need of the hour. So, the prudent CM Devendra Fadnavis introduced the CMP in advance to make the city’s infrastructure ready to drive growth.
A development plan for Nagpur city was prepared by the Nagpur Improvement Trust in 2013; however, no concrete work was done on it. In July 2018, the then Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis revised this plan with the inclusion of Nagpur Metro after conducting new surveys and consultations. The objective of the CMP is not limited to improving the transport facilities but developing the city in a multifaceted manner. It includes important elements such as expansion of the main intersections of the city, proper and safe footpaths, cycle tracks, new roads/overpasses where necessary, coordination of metro and bus services, and modernization of traffic signals. The plan to build a transportation hub in the outskirts of Nagpur is also included in the CMP to maintain the flow of developments to the remote areas centering Nagpur.
Places like Koradi, Kamthi, Kanhan, and Khaparkheda, located on the periphery of Nagpur, are known for major energy generation projects and mines and have witnessed urbanization. So, besides the development of the Nagpur metropolis, the CMP has plans to improve the basic infrastructure in these areas. Apart from widening of the existing roads, new roads will be constructed from the proposed metro station to these urban settlements, with good transport facilities. Also, keeping in mind the future needs, public bus stations will be set up at Parsodi, Khairi, Wadi, Kapasi, and Kamthi, along with the development of the Morbhavan and Ganeshpeth bus stations for the convenience of the citizens. Emphasis will be placed on providing better bus facilities for public transport in those areas where the metro is not available.
Local residents’ feedback and concerns will be addressed in the plan
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis opined that the plan should not be looked at as a government decree; rather, it should involve citizens in making it more people-oriented. So, he instructed the department to study and accommodate citizens’ feedback, especially the local needs and concerns, if found justified. The implementation of the Comprehensive Mobility Plan will be done in three phases; the first phase will be implemented over the next five years. This plan has been prepared considering the growth forecast of Nagpur for the next 30 years. Therefore, it is wise to implement the plan in parts, during the time of individual development projects
Meanwhile, efforts are being made to make the public transport facility in Nagpur more efficient through Metro. The second phase of Nagpur Metro will reach places far away from the main city and is expected to generate a large number of commuters to and fro the main city.
Given the positive response from the residents, it signals that Metro has been beneficial to Nagpur. Similarly, the focus of all schemes implemented through the CMP will be focused on the safety, convenience, and satisfaction of the citizens of Nagpur. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ Nagpur Development Model is a comprehensive plan, which will help remove the problems of the past and take Nagpur to becoming a smart city. This plan, which is meticulously designed to take care of increasing urbanization and transportation needs with minimum environmental impacts, can be replicated in other cities as well.