Maharashtra CM embarks on 2-day US tour

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today embarked on a two-day tour to the United States.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Oracle will be signed during the tour. Under the MoU, the IT giant will assist the state in the 'Smart Cities' Mission.
Fadnavis has undertaken this tour on an invitation from Oracle and it is the first the time that the company would be signing an MoU with an Indian state, a release issued by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said.
"The Chief Minister will address a global audience in 'Open World', a programme organised by Oracle. This is the first time a Chief Minister would get the opportunity to address a gathering at an event of this magnitude," an official from the CMO said.

"The company will play an important role in the government's 'Smart Cities' mission. The Kalyan Dombivili Municipal Corporation, Mira Bhayander and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporations will get the benefit from Oracle in terms of technology, thereby helping them in the Smart Cities mission," said the official.
Oracle will also develop a Centre of Excellence (CoE) that will help in the 'Smart Cities' mission, he added.
According to the official, Fadnavis is scheduled to meet California Governor Jerry Brown along with several officials from different IT companies and apprise them of the initiatives taken by the Maharashtra government under the 'Ease of Doing' business programme.

Principal Secretary of IT department Vijay Kumar Gautam and Kaustubh Dhawse, an officer on special duty in the CMO, have also gone with the Chief Minister.