Mumbai, Jan 21: The Maharashtra government on Tuesday signed four MoUs for investment proposals worth Rs 50,750 crore in the fields of defence, steel, metals, and EVs in the presence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) summit at Davos.
The state government and Balasore Alloys Ltd signed a MoU for investment of Rs 17,000 crore in steel and metals. The venture will generate 3,200 jobs. The company was represented by Satish Kaushik at the time of the signing of the MoU.
The state government and Reliance Infrastructure Ltd signed a MoU for investment worth Rs 16,500 crore in the defence sector. It will generate 2,450 jobs. The company was represented by Sateesh Seth.
Viraj Profiles Pvt Ltd and the state government inked an MoU for the investment of Rs 12,000 crore in steel and metals to generate 3,500 jobs. Neeraj Raja Kochhar, Chairman and MD of Viraj Profiles was present on the occasion.
Kalyani Group will invest Rs 5,250 crore in defence, steel and EV. It will create 4,000 jobs. The MoU was signed in the presence of Fadnavis and Vice-Chairman and Joint MD of Bharat Forge Limited Amit Kalyani.
Earlier, Fadnavis in his post on X said, "Had a good meeting with Michael Gelchie, CEO of the Louis Dreyfus Company, a French global leader in agriculture, food processing, international shipping, and finance. We discussed their plans to create a dedicated business unit for pulses and their efforts to collaborate with farmers to improve agricultural practices in our state. Maharashtra, with its strong food processing sector, is the ideal partner for this initiative. We also explored a potential partnership on a World Bank-supported program to enhance farm practices."
He further said, "Had a productive meeting with Mr. Eugene Willemsen, CEO (AMSEA and International Beverages) and Mr. Stephen Kehoe of PepsiCo, at the WEF, Davos. Glad to know PepsiCo is looking to create value chains in Nashik and further expand across Maharashtra. We are eager to welcome and give all support. PepsiCo is working mainly in Maharashtra's agriculture, food tech, and manufacturing sectors. I emphasised Maharashtra's strength and focus on food science and innovation as an agriculture-driven state. Discussions included AI in food, drone technology, and crop cycle management to support farmers. PepsiCo expressed interest in partnering with agriculture and food science universities and highlighted their efforts in recycling plastics and building a circular economy."
Moreover, Fadnavis met Ling Hai, President, of APAC, Mastercard, at Davos on Tuesday.
"I was pleased to learn that Mastercard has reopened its tech centre in Pune and Mr. Hai has invited me to visit the facility. We also discussed the critical issues of cybersecurity, financial inclusion and data protection, particularly in light of the recent acquisition of Recorded Future, which will help Mastercard better predict and prevent cyber threats. Maharashtra has already created a robust platform for cybersecurity and we look forward to collaborating with Mastercard through our MahaCyber initiative to tackle these challenges. This is just the beginning of a powerful partnership that will help Maharashtra become a leader in digital innovation, cybersecurity and economic growth," he said.
