India, April 30 -- The Maharashtra cabinet has approved 'AI Policy 2026', targeting investments of over Rs.10,000 Cr and creation of 1.5 Lakh jobs by 2031, as the state looks to position itself as a national hub for AI innovation.

The policy proposes the launch of a Maharashtra AI Mission, alongside five AI innovation cities and six sectoral Centres of Excellence. It also aims to train 2 Lakh youth and professionals to build a skilled AI workforce.

Modelled on the Centre's 'IndiaAI Mission' framework, the policy is built around seven pillars, including infrastructure, data ecosystems, skilling, innovation, startup support, sectoral deployment, and governance.

On the infrastructure front, the state plans to create a shared computing bac...