City gets multi-crore spruce-up for Make in India summit at BKC

Mumbai: If roads, pavements, gardens and street lights in and around your locality are being repaired or given a facelift, thank the National Democratic Alliance government’s big-ticket Make in India summit planned at the Bandra-Kurla Complex from February 13 to 18. Senior government officials said the city was getting a Rs10-12cr infrastructure spruce-up job, besides Rs15-20cr expenditure to be incurred by the Centre and the state to put together the investment extravaganza at the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) grounds.
Around 10,000 delegates, including about 6,000 from abroad, are expected for the investor summit largely aimed at winning their trust, confidence and thus investment for industrial growth. “The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has earmarked Rs7-8cr for the spruce-up, under which roads, pavements and medians are being cleaned up, repaired, landscaped and painted, besides re-carpeting of many roads. The Public Works Department, MMRDA and other agencies have also been told to take care of their roads and areas; thus the job will cost Rs10-12cr,” a senior bureaucrat from Mantralaya told TOI.
The BMC will light up major buildings of historical significance and put up hoardings to welcome guests. Replicas of the Make in India logo will be placed at prominent spots too.
Senior officials said a mega Maharashtra night has been organized at Girgaum Chowpatty, where personalities from Bollywood, sports and other sectors will participate. There will be a fashion show at Prince of Wales Museum, followed by events at Elephanta and Ellora, near Aurangabad. At the BKC event, various states will showcase their strengths and abilities to win over investors for their overall growth.
Besides Marine Drive, Pedder Road and the Eastern and Western express highways, major arterial roads, such as the Sion-Panvel highway, Ambedkar Road, N M Joshi Road and P D’Mello Road are being spruced up. “Roads in the western suburbs, especially in Bandra, Andheri, Goregaon and in SoBo are being decked up as they will be visited by the guests. All government guest houses are being renovated to host guests from Delhi and other states,” the officials said.
Maharashtra and its cities, including Mumbai, will also market their potential in various sectors such as agriculture, information technology, finance, animation, media, electronics and other manufacturing sectors. “Mumbai’s potential as an IT and financial hub, besides its potential in media and animation, will be on the state government’s marketing agenda,” sources said.
Officials with the state industries department the international and domestic investors will interact with potential start-ups and small and medium scale entrepreneurs in the country. “The one-to-one dialogues may forge many alliances between international and domestic companies. Maharashtra also expects a big leap going by assurances from multinationals to invest about Rs80,000cr in the state.