Maharashtra Dy CM Ajit Pawar reviews preparations for 2026 Pune Grand Tour Cycling event

Pune (Maharashtra) [India], July 20 (ANI): Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Sunday chaired a review meeting to assess the preparations for the 2026 Pune Grand Tour, an international-level cycling competition.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Pawar said the event will be a major milestone for Pune, with around 40 to 50 international athletes expected to participate.
"We are soon going to host the Grand Tour 2026 event in Pune. In preparation for that, a meeting was held today with all senior administrative and police officials of the district. This is expected to be a significant event, with around 40 to 50 international athletes participating," he said.
Pawar added that the event aims to promote both environmental awareness and tourism in the city. The event is tentatively scheduled for January 2026, but the final dates are yet to be confirmed.
"The event is likely to take place in January, although the final decision is yet to be made... The purpose of the event is not only to promote environmental awareness in Pune but also to boost tourism", he said.
Earlier on July 3, the Maharashtra Government signed an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) with the Cycling Federation of India for the successful organisation of the Pune Grand Challenge Tour 2026.
The Maharashtra Deputy CM said that other civic issues related to the IT park in Hinjewadi were discussed, which Pawar had visited on July 13.
Ajit Pawar informed that discussions related to resolving unauthorised constructions and illegal encroachments were also discussed in the meeting.
"Apart from this, civic issues related to the Hinjewadi IT Park area were also discussed. I had visited the area last Sunday to inspect the situation, and necessary orders were issued to resolve the issues, such as unauthorised constructions and illegal encroachments. Work is currently underway on those matters, and I took an update on it today as well", Pawar said. (ANI)