New Delhi: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said 49 MSMEs have proposed investments of Rs 2,320.97 crore in the Chakan-Bhosari industrial belt in Pune district.
The proposed investments, formalised through memoranda of understanding (MoUs), are expected to boost production capacity, generate thousands of jobs and strengthen the industrial ecosystem in the Pune region, he said while addressing an event.
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"The micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector would further strengthen the state's position as an economic and industrial growth engine," he said, adding that the state government has decided to conduct an MSME census to assess the number, nature, employment generation, production capacity and requirements of such units in Maharashtra.
The industry 'outreach' comes against the backdrop of the Opposition alleging proposed migration of some industries from the Chakan MIDC area near Pune because of unbearable traffic congestion and inadequate infrastructure, even as the government rejected these claims.
"MSMEs are an important pillar supporting the expansion of large industries," Fadnavis said while referring to the MSME sector's significant role in the automobile and engineering ecosystem in Pune and surrounding areas.
He said the sector was also promoting the "local to global" approach by developing alternatives to imported products.
He added that the state government has created a separate mechanism for the planned and rapid development of the MSME sector and has decided to conduct an MSME census to assess the number, nature, employment generation, production capacity and requirements of such units in Maharashtra.
The data collected through the census would help the government formulate more effective policies and provide better facilities to the sector, Fadnavis added.
The industries that signed the MoUs are expected to begin production within one to two years. The Industries Department and the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) will take prompt steps to provide them with land, infrastructure and other necessary facilities.
Fadnavis said the government is working to modernise industrial estates that were developed three to four decades ago and transform them into "industrial cities" with independent administrative mechanisms.
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The concept, he said, would enable local taxes to be used for administration, sanitation and infrastructure development.
The government also plans to introduce the "industrial city" concept in Pune district and gradually transform existing industrial estates into modern industrial cities, he said.
"This will provide industries with a stronger, efficient, clean and industry-friendly environment and encourage fresh investments as well as expansion of existing units," Fadnavis said.
Industries Minister Uday Samant said the Chakan region was poised to attract significant investments and that infrastructure-related issues were being addressed on priority.
He said the demand for land in the Chakan area could exceed availability within a year given the scale of investment expected there.
Rejecting allegations that entrepreneurs from the Chakan-Bhosari belt were moving out of Maharashtra, Samant said not a single entrepreneur had left the state, and investors continued to have confidence in Maharashtra's investment climate and the state government.
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