Mumbai: Indian, French companies sign 11 MoUs

Ziegler said: “It is a very good thing that India has risen high in terms of ease of doing business. The French companies are establishing very firm bases in India. It is a very exciting moment today that the MoUs will bring investment of 200 million Euros and 3,000 new jobs here. You can always count on French support.”

Fadnavis said: “We have requested the Union Defence Minister to declare the Samruddhi superhighway as a defence manufacturing corridor under its proposal to declare some highways in the country as such. The biggest expressway in the country will be a 700-km greenfield project that will be completed in two years and will boost economic development in Vidarbha by facilitating fast transport of goods directly to JNPT in Mumbai in six hours flat.”
He added: “We hope that this will bring defence manufacturing units to Vidarbha. Dassault Reliance Aerospace Limited coming up in Nagpur’s MIHAN SEZ will develop the entire ecosystem needed to make Vidarbha a hub for defence industries.”

Fadnavis said the state government will grant approval to the process of expansion and modernisation of Nagpur’s international airport “which will have a dedicated separate cargo runway and will be even better than Mumbai airport”.

He said Gadkari had sanctioned a new railway logistic hub at Nagpur. “With 70 per cent of India’s GDP coming from a radius of 700 km from Nagpur, these facilities are sure to make Nagpur India’s logistics hub,” he added. “Already, we are developing a 700-hectare smart city with French support in Nagpur,” he said.

Gadkari said the Tata Group was planning to set up a steel plant in Gadchiroli. “We assure you 100 per cent transparent and corruption-free commitment for development. If you encounter any problem regarding anything, you come to me. I will solve all your problems,” he said.