MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government has signed MoUs worth Rs 88,500 crore for various projects with the potential to generate over 55,000 jobs in the state.
The MoUs pertain to greenfield projects like data centres, pharmaceuticals, logistics, chemicals, automobiles, electric vehicles, renewable energy and ESDM.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, industrial Minister Uday Samat and a team of state government officials are at the World Economic Forum 2023 in Davos to seek investment opportunities for the state. Dignitaries from across the world have visited the Maharashtra government's pavilion at the summit to inquire about a potential investment in the state.
According to the Maharashtra government, US-based New Era Technical Solutions firm will invest Rs 20,000 to set up a coal gasification project at Bhadravati in Chandrapur district and will be provided 1000 acres of land by the state government.
The UK-based Varad Ferro Alloys Pvt Ltd will invest Rs 1,520 crore to develop the steel plant on 100 acres of land at Konsari in the Gadchiroli district.
The Japan-based Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NITT) has inked an MoU worth Rs 20,414 crore to develop data centres in Mumbai, Thane, Pune and Nagpur. The project is expected to generate over 1,500 jobs. Besides, GoGoRO Engineering has also signed an MoU worth Rs 20,000 to set up an automobile company at multiple locations in Maharashtra. This investment will generate 30,000 jobs for the youth of the state.
Mahindra Electric Vehicle Automobile Ltd has also inked an MoU with the plan to invest Rs 10,000 crore for setting up an electrical vehicle (EV) manufacturing hub at Chakan in the Pune district and aims to generate 3,000 jobs.
Meanwhile, UK-based Rcube-Ark Data centre Ltd will also develop a data centre at Pimpri Chinchwad with a total investment of Rs 12,000 crore and is expected to generate 1200 jobs. Portugal-based Elite Plast AutoSystems Pvt Ltd has signed an MoU worth Rs 400 core to develop a plastic automotive mould in Pune that will generate 2000 jobs.
These MoU were signed in presence of Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde in Davos. Shinde said several international firms are eager to ink MoUs as "there is a conducive atmosphere for the investment and setting up of the industry in Maharashtra."
"On the first day of the Summit, we signed over Rs 88,500 crore MoU. Now, the major challenge is to pursue these MoU and bring in reality so that as many as youths will get the jobs," Shinde added.
Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar said signing the MoU and bringing them, in reality, are two different things. “In the past, we have seen, many firms do sign the MoUs, but the percentage of bringing them, in reality, is tough. In our government, we too signed several MoUs. We hope that this government also focuses on retaining the existing businesses," Pawar said.