Overview
- Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis unveiled the memorial at Terminal 1 of Navi Mumbai International Airport on Saturday, June 6, 2026, in a ceremony attended by state ministers, CIDCO officials and NMIAL representatives.
- Multiple outlets and airport officials describe the installation as a 12-foot bronze bust of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj mounted on an 8-foot pedestal that was developed by Navi Mumbai International Airport Private Limited and created by sculptor Nitin Rohidas Gorde.
- At least one major report described the work instead as a 20-foot bronze equestrian statue, creating a clear factual discrepancy that has not been resolved by an authoritative technical specification from NMIAL or state authorities.
- Officials say the memorial took about eight months to complete, was cast in copper-alloy bronze from a model approved by the Directorate of Art, and is intended to be a permanent cultural landmark to welcome domestic and international travellers.
- Fadnavis reiterated the state’s push to rename the airport after late leader D. B. Patil and said the government has sought the central government’s approval, a step that will determine whether the renaming goes ahead and how the project is positioned politically.