Government offers enclave, woos Italian industry to invest

BRESCIA: Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday suggested an exclusive Italian enclave, complete with schools and hospitals, in one of the industrial towns as he sought to woo investors to set up businesses in the country.Goyal said the industrial town in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, where Maharashtra govt is eyeing an expansion over 5,000 acre, or proposed one near Dighi port could be dedicated for the purpose. Besides, he said Italian companies could decide to set up the enclave in other industrial towns that are coming up, including in South India and places such as Gaya.“You can have all the social infrastructure so that your engineers, managers who come to India feel at home.

You can have your own schools, hospitals, hotels and restaurants,” he said, while addressing Italian companies here. In the past, govt has sought to woo investors from Japan through a dedicated industrial park in Neemrana. While a similar plan for KoreaGn companies was also developed by the Rajasthan govt, it could not be implemented.Goyal’s comments come amid a push by Italy and other European nations, seeking to boost non-EU exports. Italian deputy PM Antonio Tajani said his govt is pushing exports and investments to India. “We need to join forces with countries that have a large trade opportunity. India has the largest population, it is a great democracy and protagonist of the Indo-Pacific. We are ready to welcome Indian investment. They can have joint ventures (with Italian companies) and we can work together in other countries,” he said.