The Ambani brothers, Mukesh and Anil, came together on Thursday to raise the issue of stalled projects plaguing India Inc and implored the Maharashtra government and the Centre to make Mumbai, India's financial capital, an easier place for business and investments. "Several projects are stuck for many years in Mumbai and we would like to know how the government intends to improve the financing and execution of projects, including those relating to infrastructure and education which have been in limbo for long and are affecting the growth of the city," Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) Chairman Mukesh Ambani told Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. Seated on the same table was his brother, apart from Tata Group Chairman Cyrus Mistry and State Bank of India (SBI) Chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya. Jaitley was addressing the Mumbai Next MMR Transformation conclave, organised by the Maharashtra government and Mumbai First here, through video conference. In his reply, Jaitley said the government was exploring several options of infrastructure financing in India and that a number of international bodies were ready to fund infrastructure development projects. He added the government was keenly considering these funding sources. While praising Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for honesty, Jaitley also had a word of advice. Apart from being honest, the government had to be decisive, he said. On his part, Reliance Group Chairman Anil Ambani told the chief minister about his experience of decisions being delayed due to an indecisive bureaucracy and the need to protect officials who wanted to take quick decisions. "Through the past many years, we have faced a number of obstacles in decision-making," he said, adding he was speaking as someone who had lived and invested in Mumbai. Fadnavis responded by saying he would bring about a transparent process to ring-fence officials. Both the Ambani brothers have announced a number of infrastructure projects in and around Mumbai, including a world-class convention centre in Bandra Kurla Complex by RIL, but very few have actually fructified. RIL's special economic zone project failed to take off due to land acquisition problems in Raigarh, while a second SEZ near Mumbai is stuck due to lack of clarity in SEZ norms. The first phase of the Mumbai Metro, set up by Anil Ambani's Reliance Infrastructure, was marred by cost overruns and run-ins with the government over fares. Subsequently, the company withdrew from the second and larger phase, citing inordinate delay. Anil Ambani also withdrew from Mumbai's sea link project on the same grounds. The brothers had also bid for a trans-harbour sea link between Navi Mumbai and Mumbai under the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party government, but their bid was rejected. Reliance Infrastructure is also the power supplier to more than half of this city. Participating in the conclave, some of India Inc's leading bankers said making Mumbai a financial hub would take at least a decade. SBI's Bhattacharya said the Indian currency should be made fully convertible and facilities should be created for it. "However, for this, the economy needs to look up and that will happen only in the next 7-10 years, not immediately," she added. Sunil Kaushal, Chief Executive Officer of Standard Chartered, India, pitched for strong infrastructure to support development. "We will take a long time to develop into a global financial centre. We need to solve transport bottlenecks in Mumbai and have lifestyle facilities for people working in and around these areas," he said.
Kohli is a pioneer and a visionary.
Taking a cue from neighbouring Gujarat and its successful Vibrant Gujarat summit, Maharashtra has organised a conclave -Transforming MMR into a Global Financial, Commercial and Entertainment Hub - on February 6.
R-Infra in its argument had told the high court that it was losing upto Rs 85 lakh a day despite being used by nearly 250,000 commuters
The Mumbai town planning agency has said it can't spare land in the commercial BKC area for a terminal due to demand from private firms
Gas prices have fallen to $10 per million British thermal unit. But the fate of the power project, run by Ratnagiri Gas and Power Pvt Ltd, will hang in balance till the committee takes a decision on gas pooling, reduction in certain taxes and providing per unit subsidy.
Patricia Hewitt, chair, UK India Business Council and former UK minister, spoke on a number of government initiatives and investment sentiments.
The Maharashtra government is pushing hard to get a Rs 4,500-crore financial package from Centre, reports Sanjay Jog
A R Antulay, the former Maharashtra CM, passed away today on Tuesday a prolonged illness
CIDCO moves Supreme Court against Rs 1,200 cr compensation order for land parcel
Mumbai is observing the sixth anniversary of the dastardly attacks that shook the city
Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel and the finance minister were in the commercial capital to participate in a road show organised jointly by the Gujarat government and Confederation of Indian Industry for the Vibrant Gujarat summit, slated for January next year.
At a time when a section of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Maharashtra has hit the streets expressing displeasure over the party's proximity with the Nationalist Congress Party, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has swung into action to bring together estranged partners BJP and Shiv Sena.
The Bharatiya Janata Party is in no hurry to engineer a split or woo legislators from other parties at this juncture, though it is short of numbers in the Maharashtra assembly.
Emboldened by general and state poll results, and Narendra Modi's appeal among voters, the Bharatiya Janata Party has declined former senior ally Shiv Sena's face-saving terms
To bring in transparency and curb corruption, the government has put in place a Public Services Guarantee system in the state.
BJP hints at implementing Modi's model of minimum government maximum governance in Maharashtra
BJP's central leadership is expected to take a call next week, reports Sanjay Jog
The NCP says its support from outside to the BJP government is without compromising its ideology. Sanjay Jog reports
New government will have to mobilise money to complete pending irrigation, infra projects
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