New Delhi: The Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presided over the second meeting of the Apex Monitoring Authority of the National Industrial Corridor Development and Implementation Trust (NICDIT) in New Delhi on Tuesday. The meeting, conducted in a hybrid mode, saw the participation of several Union Ministers, state representatives, and senior officials from various ministries.
Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Minister of State for Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, Suman Bery, Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog, and officials from 16 states attended the meeting, which focused on reviewing the progress of projects under the NICDIT.
The NICDIT aims to establish greenfield smart industrial cities with sustainable, plug-and-play, and ICT-enabled utilities. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman highlighted the importance of creating quality infrastructure and ensuring ready land parcels for allocation to attract investments in the manufacturing sector and strengthen India's position in global value chains.
During the review, Special Secretary of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) informed the Finance Minister that Round Table Conferences, Roadshows, and meetings with international associations are being organised with the support of states and Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs), as directed in the previous meeting.
The NICDIT operates within the broader framework of the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan and aims to provide multi-modal connectivity through flagship schemes such as Bharatmala, Sagarmala, National Waterways, Dedicated Freight Corridors, and National Gas Grid, among others.
Sitharaman stressed the significance of the FIRE (Freight corridors, Industrial corridors, Railways, and Expressways) concept to ignite industrialisation and economic development in India, aligning with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a developed India by 2047.
Sitharaman emphasised the need to avoid politicisation of economic development and urged all states to work collectively as Team India to address challenges in the development of industrial corridors. She sought the support of states in resolving issues related to land acquisition, external infrastructure linkages, and other operational aspects of the industrial corridors.
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