Mumbai's BKC braces itself for Make in India week

About 8,000 domestic industries, business delegates from 68 nations to participate in the event through February 13-18

As many as 8,000 domestic industries including Tata Group, Reliance Industires, JSW and MNCs like GE, Boeing, JCB, and 49 nations and business delegations from 68 countries will participate in the Make In India Week to be held through February 13-18 at the sprawling Bandra-Kurla Complex.

The Make In India Centre, spread over 2 lakh sq mt, will accomodate 27 halls, specific pavilions showcasing 11 focus sectors, 17 state exhibitions and pavillions of countries including Sweden, Germany and South Korea.

Over 190 exhibitors will showcase the manufacturing prowess of the country across focus sectors which include defence and aerospace, automobiles and auto components, chemicals and petrochemicals, construction, food processing, infrastructure, IT & electronics, industrial equipment and machinery, pharmaceuticals, textiles and MSMEs.

Additionally, some states including Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh will hold investors summit showcasing their strengths.

At the curtain-raiser press conference, the Union Minister of State for Industry and Commerce Nirmala Sitaraman said the Make In India week would showcase innovation, design and sustainability driving country's new manufacturing revolution. Further, she added that states after states in the spirit of competitive federalism would project themselves as drivers of development.

The Department of Industrial Production and Policy is the nodal ministry, while the Maharashtra government is the host state for Make in India week. The Confederation of Indian Industry is the partner.

The Maharashtra government expects an investment proposals of Rs 3 to 4 lakh crore during the event.

State chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said the government would announce policies for ports, electronics, promotion of entrepreneurship in scheduled castes and scheduled tribes and single-window clearance for investors. He made it clear that Maharashtra had emerged on top as the favoured destination for domestic and FDI.

"Our focus is on the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor, The Multi-modal International Cargo Hub and Airport at Nagpur (MIHAN) and the textile sector. If we want to march on the path of development, we have to work together in agriculture, industry and services sector," he noted.

He said some of the key government delegations include the Prime Minister-led delegations from Finland, Sweden and Lituania and the deputy PM-led delegation from Poland.

DIPP joint secretary Atul Chaturvedi said an exhibition on innovation by the best of IITs would be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Besides, leading institutions from the world over will come together and develop solutions to address problems in the areas of water, transportation and energy. DIPP and Qualcomm India would organise start up contest QPrize Make In India awarding Rs 2 crore in equity investment as prize money for the winning company.