CII, Maharashtra joins hands for mfg policy

MUMBAI: The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) will join hands with the Maharashtra government to draft a manufacturing policy for the state. “Maharashtra should be able to exploit the state’s manufacturing potential,� Firdose Vandrevala, chairmanm, CII western region, said.
Maharashtra, which has been one of the most prosperous states contributing to 13% of India’s gross domestic product and 20% of its industrial output, has been facing stiff competition from Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka on investments. “Investments in the state have dropped from a peak of over Rs 10,000 crore in ’94-95 to as little as Rs 65 crore in ’02-03,� said Mr Vandrevala. The policy is expected to assist the state design clusters in manufacturing along the lines of the automotive and light engineering pilot projects in Pune.
He recommended the development of specialised manufacturing centres in Tier-II towns such as Nashik, Aurangabad, Nagpur, Kolhapur and Ratnagiri.