Eknath Shinde reacts to Maharashtra losing Rs 1,54,000-crore semiconductor project to Gujarat: 'Uddhav Thackeray's MVA govt didn't...'

Vedanta and Foxconn have jointly inked a Memorandum of Understanding with the Gujarat government to set up a Rs 1,54,000-crore semiconductor and display manufacturing unit in the state.

New Delhi: Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday (September 14, 2022) reacted to Maharashtra losing the Vedanta-Foxconn project to Gujarat and slammed the previous Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government for not "cooperating" on the Rs 1,54,000-crore semiconductor plant. Shinde, who took oath as the chief minister on June 30, said that he did not want to get into the blame game over Gujarat bagging the project and asked the Opposition to introspect.

"My government came to power only one and a half months ago. I didn't want to get into a blame game over the development. But I think the Opposition should introspect," he said, adding the previous MVA government didn't cooperate and the company didn't know the government will change.

Vedanta group has said it will set up an iPhone and TV manufacturing facility in Maharashtra, he said.

He also said that Maharashtra had offered incentives worth Rs 39,000 crore for the project.

MVA members Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and Congress have severely criticised the Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government over the project, which was earlier proposed in Maharashtra, going to Gujarat.

Amid the Opposition criticism, Shinde said, "The Vedanta group has said that it will set up an iPhone and TV manufacturing facility in Maharashtra. 
Even PM Modi has assured a bigger project in the state as it has good potential".

Vedanta, an oil-to-metals conglomerate, and Taiwanese electronics manufacturing giant Foxconn will make one of the largest-ever investments of Rs 1.54 lakh crore in setting up India's first semiconductor plant in Gujarat. The 60:40 joint venture of Vedanta-Foxconn will set up a semiconductor fabrication plant, a display unit and a semiconductor assembling and testing facility on 1,000 acres of land in the Ahmedabad district. 

(With agency inputs)