Davos deals bring Rs 48,659 crore investment to Nashik region: Minister Samant

Nashik: Maharashtra industry minister Uday Samant on Sunday said state govt signed 20 memorandums of understanding (MoUs) worth Rs 48,659 crore for industrial investments across the Nashik region during the World Economic Forum meet held in Davos last month.He said the projects are expected to generate nearly 70,000 jobs for youth across the region's five districts — Nashik, Ahilyanagar, Dhule, Jalgaon and Nandurbar.Speaking to reporters during his visit to Nashik, Samant said the volume of MoUs signed at Davos has grown significantly over the past few years."A few years ago, Maharashtra's MoUs were worth around Rs 1.7 lakh crore, which has increased to Rs 30 lakh crore in Jan 2026," he said, adding that the implementation rate of projects signed through MoUs has crossed 75%.Responding to queries about the proposed Mahindra and Mahindra manufacturing plant at Igatpuri, Samant said land acquisition by the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) is underway in Adwan village.He said the original plan to acquire 700 acres has been revised to 360 acres following discussions and consent from local farmers. Dismissing speculation that the project might shift to Nagpur, Samant said the company remains committed to setting up the plant in Nashik district. He said he has directed the authorities to expedite the land acquisition process.Samant also criticised state Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal for his recent comments comparing Tipu Sultan with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. He termed the remarks "unfortunate" and alleged that Sapkal attempted to appeal to a particular community for political gains.