BHOPAL: The week-long tour by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav to the United Arab Emirates and Spain recently, has opened enormous opportunities for the central Indian state across multiple sectors, including infrastructure, tourism, films, textiles, sports, data analytics and artificial intelligence.
Not only have investment proposals worth over Rs 11,000 crores come Madhya Pradesh’s way, but multiple memorandums of understanding (MoUs) too have been inked with a long-term vision.
On July 16, an MoU was signed with the Spanish Film Commission to promote film co-production that would creatively and commercially benefit both MP and Spain. The pact will encourage Spanish film-makers to explore shooting locations in the scenic MP.
While showcasing the state’s scenic and versatile locations along with the state’s proactive film policies, making it an ideal destination for international productions, the MP CM invited Spanish filmmakers to conduct location scouting visits to the state.
The discussions also covered potential alignment between the film policies of India and Spain, and ways to simplify the co-production process. Both sides explored the possibility of organizing joint film festivals, workshops, and cultural events to deepen bilateral cultural exchange. He also emphasised the need for collaboration in skill development and technical training in areas such as post-production, VFX, and scriptwriting. Discussions also included launching short-term courses and exchange programs in partnership with leading Spanish film institutions.
The idea of hosting a ‘Madhya Pradesh Film Showcase’ in Spain was also proposed, aimed at presenting the state's creative strengths and filming locations to the global industry.
During his tour to Barcelona, MP inked a significant strategic agreement with global technology company Submer Technologies SL in the field of digital and technological advancement. The MoU was signed between the Madhya Pradesh State Electronics Development Corporation and Submer. The agreement focuses on investment, technical collaboration, and the development of sustainable digital infrastructure.
Under this agreement, a strategic collaboration has been established to jointly develop next-generation AI-ready data center capacity of up to 1 gigawatt in Madhya Pradesh. The agreement focuses on advanced liquid-cooling technologies such as immersion cooling and direct-to-chip solutions. The objective is to significantly reduce energy consumption, water usage, and environmental impact. This collaboration aligns with global efficiency standards for data center operations.
Compared to traditional methods, this technology delivers up to 45% energy savings and up to 90% water conservation. Submer will invest in construction, research and development (R&D), and technical areas in the state, while the Madhya Pradesh State Electronics Development Corporation will finalize suitable land, basic infrastructure, policy support, and government formalities for the project.
The purpose of this partnership is not only to enhance the state’s technical capacity in the digital domain but also to encourage skill development, innovation, and local employment generation. Youth in the state will receive training and job opportunities in cutting-edge digital technologies.
The MP CM, during his Madrid trip, visited the headquarters of world famous Spanish professional club football league – La Liga – and proposed establishment of football excellence centers, sports infrastructure upgrades and Spanish coaching-based youth training programs in Madhya Pradesh under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.
Meanwhile, during the Barcelona tour, Siddharth Tiwari, co-founder of Sportsfun TV SL, explored possibilities to develop football in Madhya Pradesh through talent scouting, training camps and the establishment of academies. Tiwari mentioned that his company is already working with the Government of Jharkhand in this direction and is keen to initiate similar efforts in MP.
The week-long Dubai, Madrid and Barcelona tour resulted in investment proposals worth Rs 11,119 crore, which once actualized are likely to create 14,208 jobs.
The biggest chunk of investment was proposed in Madrid by Kempolis Oy (AmGreen & Greenko) in the Advanced Biofuels and SAF Projects sector, which is likely to create 5000 jobs.
Earlier, during the meetings in Dubai, the BNW Developers proposed Rs 2750 crore investment in the Infrastructure sector that is likely to create 3,575 jobs.