Approvals to new industries in Maharashtra in 30 days

Taking a leaf from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to 'Make in India', Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Monday urged top industrialists to 'Make in Maharashtra' to boost industrial development and employment in the state.

Accordingly, Fadnavis has decided to set up an Empowered Group of Secretaries of various key departments to give all the approvals required for new industries within 30 days.

He urged a delegation of top industrialists, who met him, to contribute to 'Make in Maharashtra' and give a fillip to industrial development as well as creating new jobs in the state.

All investors investing more than one billion rupees will be provided hand-holding services through MAITRI for making all approvals required available to them at a single point without the need to pursue matters with different departments.

It is also proposed to review the River Regulation Zone policy in order to remove unnecessary restrictions on non-polluting industries.

The Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation would be made the Special Planning Authority for declared industrial zones in the Development Plans/Regional Plans and expansion of industries outside the MIDC areas would be fast-tracked by easing change of land use regulations.

By March 2015, the state government will implement new policies along with inter-departmental co-ordination for according time-bound approvals, addressing the major grouse of delays on these counts.

These include new policies on Agro and Food Processing, State Procurement, State Manufacturing, SEZs and Export Oriented Units, New IT and ITES, Electronics, Retail Trade and discarding the existing Location Policy for Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

Fadnavis Monday met top industrialists including Reliance Group Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh Ambani, Piramal Group Chairman Ajay Piramal and Kalyani Group Chairman Baba Kalyani and apprised them of various measures being taken to give a push to 'Make in Maharashtra.'

He pointed out that while Maharashtra continues to be the preferred destination for both Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and domestic investments in various sectors, the state would now provide faster approval processes for industries, transparency and bringing them on a common e-platform.

The chief minister also brainstormed on the current status and past trends of the manufacturing sector in the state, problems they encounter and measures to retain the state's position as the preferred investment decision for the manufacturing sector, infrastructure, land and reforms in various laws for this sector.

Fadnavis will monitor and review the progress in these systemic reforms to achieve the goal of reduction, modification, elimination of processes and number of approvals and ultimate digitization of the remaining approvals.