Maharashtra taps WhatsApp for govt services

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis poses for a group picture at MumbAI Tech Week 2025, in Mumbai on Friday. State Minister for Information Technology Ashish Shelar is also seen standing to his left

WhatsApp will now serve as a platform for providing government services and information. The Maharashtra government announced on Friday that 500 services would be made available on WhatsApp, making it the second state in India to do so. Last month, Andhra Pradesh launched a similar initiative, offering 161 government services online via WhatsApp.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, speaking at a function in Mumbai, said, "To make government services more efficient and convenient, the state has partnered with Meta to provide technology-driven services to citizens."

While Fadnavis did not specify which services would be available, government officials believe citizens will be able to use WhatsApp for tasks such as purchasing tickets and lodging complaints. Ashish Shelar, minister of Information Technology (IT), stated that the initiative aligns with Maharashtra's vision of becoming a digitally connected state.

During the event, Fadnavis emphasised that technology is a key pillar in achieving the goal of a trillion-dollar economy. "Special efforts are being made to accelerate startups in the fintech and AI sectors," he added.

The CM also highlighted the role of the state's "war room" in expediting government decision-making. "Earlier, obtaining approvals from 18 different departments was required to start a project. Through the war room, all concerned authorities are brought together in one place, enabling quick decision-making," he said, citing projects like the Metro, Coastal Road and Atal Setu as examples.

Big three projects

Maharashtra will focus on three major projects: Vadhvan Port, Navi Mumbai International Airport and the river-linking project. Speaking about the former, Fadnavis stated that it is a 20-metre-deep port, three times larger than the current Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT). "The world's largest ships will be able to dock here. This will not only transform Mumbai's economy but also strengthen India's position in global maritime trade," he said.

Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation for Vadhvan Port in Palghar, 110 km north of Mumbai. The R76,220 crore project aims to reduce the burden on JNPT and become India's largest deep-water port. Regarding the Navi Mumbai International Airport, the CM stated that once completed, it would pave the way for a new commercial and technology hub in the region.

On the river-linking project, he said that the Wainganga-Nalganga and Godavari water projects will ensure a permanent water supply to drought-affected regions in Vidarbha and Marathwada. "This initiative will benefit thousands of farmers and boost agricultural production," he concluded.