Mauritius PM Anerood Jugnauth to visit Mumbai on November 18

Mauritius Prime Minister Anerood Jugnauth is set to visit the city on November 18, where he is expected to discuss various issues, including one that provides a subsidy for Bollywood films shot there, with the Maharashtra government.

An official from the Maharashtra Finance department said Jugnauth, along with a team of eight officials will visit Mumbai on November 18, where the both governments are expected to sign deals which would benefit manufacturers and exporters in both nations.

"Maharashtra Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar will hold a meeting with the Mauritius PM at the state guest house Sahyadri, where a 100 people, besides officials from both governments, would be invited," he said.

"60 industrialists, 20 Bollywood personalities and 20 secretaries of Maharashtra government would be among the 100 invitees, who will take part in the meeting," he added.

According to the official, both sides would discuss ways to make exporters and manufacturers in both countries work together and that Maharashtra government will aggressively promote its 'ease of doing business' initiative to the Mauritius government.

"Also, Maharashtra government will try to persuade Mauritius to give a subsidy on Bollywood films being shot there. That, in turn, will boost the tourism sector of Mauritius," he added.

Besides, the official said that state government will also promote Maharashtra as a beach tourism destination, by adopting the Mauritius model of tourism to beautify the state's beaches, as part of efforts to improve the quality of the shores.

"We want to replicate the efforts put in by the Mauritius government to beautify their beaches. We will thus seek their expertise in doing so," he said.