Maharashtra sets up facility to fight cybercrimes, announces helpline

Maharashtra has set up a “cyber corporation” to tackle digital fraud and it has offered a similar facility in two other states, said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday.

The facility in Navi Mumbai will work as the state’s headquarters against cybercrime. “I see a day when street crime will be 20-30 per cent (of all crimes) and 70 per cent will be cybercrime. Cyber corporation is India’s best platform that integrates all banks, non-banking financial companies and social media handles (to track crimes),” he said at the Mumbai Tech Week 2025 summit.

“We have procured the best tools in the world and all required licences. We have procured a single (helpline) number which is 1945.” Fadnavis did name the states that contacted Maharashtra to set up a similar facility.

Cybercrimes, including digital fraud, have increased in the country. The number of frauds in the banking sector increased over four times in the past five years to 36,075 in Financial Year 2023-24 (FY24). Frauds through digital payments (card or internet) increased to 29,082 in FY24 as compared to 2,677 in FY20, according to the Reserve Bank of India’s annual report.

Startups leaving Maharashtra

Fadnavis said the state did not create sufficient infrastructure in Mumbai between 2009 and 2014, leading to high cost of living and startups moving to cities like Bengaluru and Hyderabad.

“It became unaffordable for the IT-enabled industry to stay in Mumbai. The IT (information technology) revolution went to these cities because of our inefficient working. But we have started working on that after 2014.”

Fadnavis, who first became chief minister in 2014 and is now in his second term after a break, said the state will launch a startup incubator called M-Hub. “We want to create a lot of space which is plug-and-play in Navi Mumbai. It will be comparable to Bengaluru and Hyderabad.”