Priority is to take ease of doing business in the state to next level: Maha Industry Secy (IANS Interview)

Mumbai, Dec 26 Newly-appointed Maharashtra Industry Secretary P. Anbalagan, an IAS officer of the 2001 batch, said on Thursday that his priority will be to make all efforts to consolidate the state's status as the most favoured destination for domestic and foreign direct investments, and provide hand-holding to investors.

Anbalagan, who had worked as the chief executive officer of the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation and the chairman and managing director of the state-run generation company MahaGenco, said that the department will work as a facilitator to the investors so that they can complete their projects in a hassle-free manner.

Anbalagan on Thursday took over as the industry secretary from the outgoing principal secretary Harshdeep Kamble.

"The priority will be hand-holding of all the investors, facilitating the existing investors for next level expansion. We will have the same level of involvement with all investors, be it small, medium or major investors. I will see that the investors will have an absolute level of comfort in dealing with government and other agencies," he told IANS.

"Maharashtra has always been an attractive investment destination for both domestic and foreign direct investments. We will ensure that the services are delivered in a time-bound manner. We will take the ease of doing business to the next level and consolidate the state's pre-eminent position in attracting investments. It will be done with the cooperation of all stakeholders," he added.

As far as the release of New Industrial Policy is concerned, Anbalagan said that it has been due since March 2024, and it will be expedited for its launch.

"Our efforts will be to attend the hitherto unattended areas that is taking the industries to other areas to exploit the potential of other districts," he said.

On the prospects of emergence of Maoist-affected Gadchiroli district as the next steel hub of India as asserted by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the Industry Secretary said: "Companies have already gone there. It will be the steel capital of the country. Of course, it will take some time. Being an area with a lot of thermal plants and other industries, there is a scope for development of the specialty steel sector. We will be able to concentrate on the downstream steel industry. The entire value chain can be created not only in Gadchiroli but Nagpur, Chandrapur and other adjoining districts from Vidarbha."

To a question whether Maharashtra would be able to attract new investments, especially on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum's annual summit at Davos in January next year, Anbalagan said: "You will come to know some exciting figures."

Anbalagan’s appointment comes at a time when Maharashtra has topped in getting FDI in two consecutive years, 2023-24 and 2024-25. The state topped the country in foreign direct investment with Rs 1,25,101 crore in 2023-24, and it again topped the country in the first two quarters, from April to September of this year, 2024-25, with FDI of Rs 1,13,236 crore, which is more than 90 per cent of last year's total FDI.

"Maharashtra is one of the leading industrial states in the country. Maharashtra contributes more than 14 per cent to the country's total GDP. The government has set a very ambitious target of making Maharashtra the first state in the country to achieve the target of $1 trillion economy by the year 2027-28," said the Governor in his address to the joint session of the state legislature on December 9.

Further, the government has announced a policy of giving Anchor Industry status to mega-projects in the thrust sector and high-tech manufacturing sector, such as semiconductors, electric vehicles, aerospace and defence, chemicals and polymers, lithium iron batteries, steel and other products and special incentives to attract more investment in the state.

Approved projects in the last eight months under the said policy, will attract total investment of approximately Rs 3,29,000 crore, and it will generate direct and indirect employment for around 1,18,000 people.

The government has also announced the State's Information Technology and Information Technology Supported Services Policy, 2023 and also Green Data Centre Policy.

The policy aims to make Mumbai the 'Data Centre Capital' of India.

As part of this policy, Green Integrated Data Centre Park will be set up in the Mumbai and Navi Mumbai areas, which will lead to an approximately Rs 1 lakh crore investment and generate employment for approximately 20,000 people in the state.

However, Anbalagan also faces a major challenge in the implementation of the recently enacted legislation ensuring the single window clearance to investors by curbing red-tapism.

(Sanjay Jog can be contacted at sanjay.j@ians.in)

Source: IANS