Mumbai can become India's Shanghai

The Maharashtra government has the will power to transform Mumbai, India's commercial capital in to another Shanghai but would need cooperation from all political parties and public, a senior state leader has said.

"Efforts are on to transform Mumbai into another Shanghai," vice chairman of the Maharashtra Legislative Council, Vasant S Davkhare said in Beijing.

"But there should be the will and will power. Our present government (in Maharashtra) has that will and will power too," Davkhare, leading a 20-plus multi-party delegation of lawmakers from the state told PTI in Beijing.

"This dream will definitely come true," he said after the delegation toured Shanghai, China's largest city and the Communist giant's gleaming commercial capital as part of a study tour to know more about China and its system of working.

He noted that the government has been developing the Bandra-Kurla complex in Mumbai as fast as it could.

"We are trying to develop Mumbai at a faster pace, but not as fast as in Shanghai," he said, acknowledging that developmental projects in Mumbai face several "impediments".

"After visiting China, the lesson we learned is that we have to work hard. There should be sincere efforts. When development takes place there should not be any political rivalry. When something good for the common man is happening, we should join hands," the Indian leader said.

"Ours is a democratic country, there are several political parties and there will be several opinions on one issue. But one should join hands for the common good," Davkhare said.