Fadnavis back after deals with Israel

MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who was on a four-day visit to Israel returned home today.

He landed in Mumbai in the wee hours after holding bilateral talks with Israeli PM Netanyahu, who promised to explore co-operation with Maharashtra in a range of fields, including defence production and agriculture.

Yesterday, the two leaders discussed the agrarian crisis in the state, especially in the Vidarbha and Marathwada areas which have been affected by crop failures and farmers' suicides following which the CM sought Israel's help not only with technology but also in evolving strategies to tackle the issue.

The Israeli premier responded positively promising all required co-operation.

"The response of the Israeli prime minister was encouraging and we look forward to intense discussions between experts from both sides to address our agrarian crisis," Fadnavis told PTI after the meeting.

The Maharashtra Chief Minister's calls for Israeli defence industries to "Make in Maharashtra" also received a favourable response from Netanyahu.

Fadnavis had appealed to Israel's defence industries to set up manufacturing units in his state earlier during his visit and also met officials at Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to promote such an investment.

The Chief Minister also discussed at length the strengths of his state that make it a preferred destination for investments besides ways to strengthen cooperation in the field of cyber security and in building smart cities.