Preparations for Make In India event at BKC in full swing

Ten pavilions are being constructed on a 100,000 sq mt area; Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the event

Preparations for the week-long Make In India event in Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) are in full swing with 500-odd workers working round the clock. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the event on February 13. The event’s theme is innovation, design and sustainability.

Ten air-conditioned pavilions-cum-exhibition halls are being constructed over 100,000 sq mt land possessed by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). The land is being provided free of cost by MMRDA as Maharahstra is the host state for the mega event where 1,000 companies and delegates from around 60 countries are expected to be present. About 500 exhibitors will display their products and 42 seminars and parallel discussions are being planned.

Make In India’s logo - a lion made of cogs, a symbol of industry - is visible at the event site and also on the inter-connecting roads and highways. Besides, the auspicious lamp Laman Diva or Nanda Deep, which is specially prepared by the state government, is being prominently displayed at the venue and in different parts of the metropolis.

Barricades have been installed with ‘no entry’ signs on some of the roads adjacent to the venue.

Maharashtra will showcase its pre-eminence in attracting investments in a pavilion spread over 1,000 sq mt. State undertaking Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation will exhibit the model of Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor, while other agencies including MMRDA and City and Industrial Development Corporation would display models of ongoing and proposed infrastructure projects in the states.

Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, and Haryana will also display their strengths as investment destinations in separate pavilions. These states will also put up miniatures of different models at the venue, while auto major Mercedes Benz proposes to install an assembly unit.

‘Maharashtra welcomes the World' is one among the many advertisements displayed on the roads leading up to BKC, while a massive makeover of boundary walls and electric polls is underway. Advertisement campaigns will be stepped up from February 1.

The Confederation of Indian Industry is the lead partner, while advertisement and public relations agency Rediffusion and event management firm Wizcraft are closely engaged with the various state and Central government agencies in. About Rs 100 crore will be spent jointly by the Centre and the state government on media blitzkrieg and event management.

Bhushan Gagrani, chief executive of Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation, told Business Standard, “State industries secretary Apurva Chandra is supervising the preparations while Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion secretary Amitabh Kant is holding review meetings. State and sector seminars are being planned.”

He said opportunities in various sectors including automobiles, defence, aerospace, food processing, chemicals, electronics, information technology, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and infrastructure will be showcased at the event through seminars and discussions among major stake holders.