Maharashtra has laid out an ambitious roadmap to revolutionise rural life by transforming 3,500 villages into smart, tech-enabled hubs by 2030, marking a significant stride in its “Viksit Maharashtra 2047” vision. The programme’s first phase is already underway with a pilot in Nagpur district, where a model “smart village” has been initiated.

Closing the Rural-Urban Gap with Tech

This visionary drive aims to bridge the rural-urban divide by introducing technology-driven services in agriculture, education, healthcare, and financial inclusion. The plan includes establishing at least 10 such smart villages in every taluka, setting a new bar for sustainable development in rural India.

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Satnavari—India’s First Smart & Intelligent Hub

Satnavari, in Nagpur district, has become India’s first officially designated smart and intelligent village, developed in collaboration with the state administration and a consortium of Indian technology enterprises. This pilot marks a pivotal moment in pushing digital and eco-friendly rural governance.

Farming Smarter

Agricultural innovation is central to the initiative. In pilot zones, drones and soil sensors are already in use for tasks like spraying fertilisers, assessing soil health, and optimising resource usage—efforts that lower costs while aligning with the state’s zero-carbon goals.

Telehealth, AI Education & Financial Access: Tech at Your Doorstep

The smart village model promises far-reaching improvements:

Telemedicine to ensure prompt medical consultations for rural communities.

AI-driven education to connect students with global learning resources.

Mobile banking units to improve financial access in remote areas.

These efforts are powered by the MahaNet project, an extension of the BharatNet digital backbone, enabling seamless connectivity for services like smart irrigation, surveillance, and more.

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Financial Backing & PPPs

A substantial ₹1,200 crore has already been allocated for development work in Nagpur district alone. Experts note that as Maharashtra pioneers smart village infrastructure, it is poised to attract robust private investment and tech collaboration.

Sustainability at the Core

The long-term strategy is to embed sustainability into every facet of village life—from clean water systems and renewable energy to climate-resilient farming and AI-based learning. Should the initiative succeed at scale, it could redefine India’s rural economic narrative by turning villages into digitally empowered engines of growth.