Signed 61 MoUs entailing investment of Rs 15.7 trn at Davos: Fadnavis

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Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said 61 MoUs have been signed during his visit to the World Economic Forum in Davos entailing investment of Rs 15.70 lakh crore and having the potential to provide 16 lakh jobs in the state.

The annual five-day meeting of the WEF is underway in Davos, Switzerland from January 20. CM Fadnavis is attending the meeting with a state delegation. Interacting with reporters via Zoom link from Davos, he said seven of these MoUs were strategic partnerships for knowledge in mobility and education and not investment.  All the MoUs have 98 percent FDI component in the field of infrastructure, green energy, electronics, IT, steel, defence, textiles ,solar, biotechnology, pharma, among others, the CM added. Memorandums of Understanding worth Rs 6 lakh crore pertain to Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and Pune, Rs 5 lakh pertains to Vidarbha, Rs 30,000 crore to north Maharashtra, and Rs 20-25000 is for Marathwada, which is emerging as a manufacturing hub, Fadnavis informed. The materialisation rate of these MoUs stands at 65-70 per cent, he said.  "Last time, it was 95 per cent. All are serious players. Most MoUs are connected to sustainability, green hydrogen and clean fuel," the CM asserted. The theme of this year's WEF is Artificial Intelligence (AI), he said. "AI has changed industry and job market and we have to embrace technology. My government plans to make Maharashtra the first mover in AI. An Innovation City is also being planned in Navi Mumbai, which will create an eco-system for all innovations," Fadnavis said.  Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Thursday targeted the Maharashtra government, saying that of the 29 investment MoUs signed on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, only one company is from outside India. Asked about Thackeray's claim, the CM, "Davos is an international networking centre. Indian companies want us to meet their foreign partners. CEOs from all over the world come to Davos and get a chance to interact with investors across the globe." "What can one do if people are not happy over record MoUs signed, which are in the interest of the state," Fadnavis said in a swipe at the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former state minister.