State signs four MOUs worth Rs 934 crore

The Maharashtra government today signed memoranda of understanding (MoU) with four companies from the packaging, construction machinery and seamless tubes sectors, involving an investment of Rs 934 crore in the state.

European packaging material manufacturer Ball Packaging Europe will invest Rs 260 crore to set up a beverage can manufacturing faculty at Walunj Industrial Park in the Aurangabad district.

The plant will manufacture 600 million cans in the first year of operations and provide employment to 150 highly skilled people.

The MoU was signed by Frank Weekers, the company’s chief financial officer and state industry secretary VK Jairath. Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh was present at the occasion.

Pune-based construction equipment manufacturing company Universal Construction Equipment and Machinery will pump Rs 267 crore into a facility for producing batching plants, reversible drum mixers, mini dumpers and other construction equipment machinery at Shivare in Bhor taluka of Pune district.

The plant will provide employment to around 650 people. The company’s managing director Ranjit More signed the MoU with the government.

Arihant Domestic Appliance will put in Rs 117 crore to carry out expansion at its precision welded tubes manufacturing facility at Pimple-Jagtap in Shirur taluka of Pune district.

After expansion, the company’s capacity for manufacturing precision welded tubes will increase from 18,000 tonnes to 30,000 tonnes annually.

This investment will create jobs for little over 510 people. Speaking at the occasion, Chairman Chandu Chavan said, “The company will continue its policy of having women as 70 per cent of its total workforce even after expansion”.

The experiment of providing more employment to women, despite the higher expenses on transportation facilities for the women employees, has been more than satisfactory due to their higher commitment levels, he added.

Malu Paper will set up a newsprint manufacturing unit at Saoner taluka in Nagpur district for Rs 290 crore. The plant will have a capacity to manufacture 49,500 tonnes of newspaper print and 82,500 tonnes of writing and printing paper.

The company will also set up a 15 mw captive power plant. Chairman Damodarlal Malu signed the MoU on the company’s behalf.