Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday dedicated the Bidkin Industrial Area (BIA) in Maharashtra to the nation with an aim to boost domestic manufacturing.The prime minister joined the event through video-conferencing, while Maharashtra Governor C P Radhakrishnan and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, among others, were present at the function held in Pune, an official statement said.Bidkin Industrial Area is a project spread over 7,855 acres. It has been developed under the National Industrial Corridor Development Programme (NICDP) as part of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor. 

Total cost: Rs 6,414 crore 

The industrial hub, located 20 km south of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar in Maharashtra, has immense potential to boost economic growth in the Marathwada region, the commerce and industry ministry said. The central government has approved the project at a total cost of Rs 6,414 crore, to be developed in three phases. "Phase A, covering 2,511 acres, has been prioritised with an investment of Rs 2,427 crore," it said. The project is being pursued by Maharashtra Industrial Township Ltd (MITL), a special purpose vehicle (SPV) formed by a partnership between Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) and National Industrial Corridor Development and Implementation Trust (NICDIT) in the ratio of 51:49. 

It is home to many big companies 

According to the statement, the Bidkin industrial area is now equipped with wide roads, quality water and power supply and advanced sewage and common effluent treatment plants. “Bidkin has already seen interest from several large investors. Notable companies such as Ather Energy (100 acres), Lubrizol (120 acres), Toyota-Kirloskar (MoU for 850 acres) and JSW Green Mobility (500 acres) have committed to invest in the region,” it said. These four projects will entail a combined investment of Rs 56,200 crore, generating employment for over 30,000 people, the ministry said. In just three years since construction, a total of 1,822 acres (38 plots) have been allotted in industrial and mixed-use zones.