India, Feb. 17 -- Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday pitched Mumbai as a climate finance gateway for the Global South, which requires trillions of dollars for sustainable infrastructure in energy, transport, urban systems, and adaptation.

"The scale of climate transition required globally and in developing economies cannot be funded by public budgets alone. It requires catalytic capital. It requires blended finance. It requires innovative risk-sharing frameworks. It requires patient capital for early-stage technologies. And it requires confidence in execution," said Fadnavis at the inaugural event of India's first three-day citizen-led Mumbai Climate Week (MCW). MCW is the first such event in the Global South.

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