- Monday, March 10, 2025
By: Shubham Ghosh
It seems Gujarat’s success in bagging a $20-billion (£16.7 billion) Vedanta-Foxconn project over neighbouring Maharashtra, India’s richest state, is snowballing into a major row.
After the opposition in the state which is ruled by Eknath Shinde-led government backed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) blamed the authorities of missing the bus, chief minister Shinde on Tuesday (13) rang up prime minister Narendra Modi who reportedly promised “a similar project, a better one, to Maharashtra”.
A day later, Vedanta chairman Anil Agarwal said his company was “fully committed to investing in Maharashtra as well”, an NDTV report said.
Following a series of tweets posted by Agarwal on Wednesday (14) night, Maharashtra thanked his company for announcing a “Vedanta-Foxconn affiliate project” on its soil.
Vedanta-Foxconn has been professionally assessing site for a multi-billion dollar investment. This is a scientific and financial process which takes several years. We started this about 2 years ago. (1/4)
— Anil Agarwal (@AnilAgarwal_Ved) September 14, 2022
Our team of internal & external professional agencies shortlisted few states viz., Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, TN etc to help achieve our purpose. For last 2 years we have been engaging with each of these govts as well as central govt & have received fantastic support. (2/4)
— Anil Agarwal (@AnilAgarwal_Ved) September 14, 2022
We decided Gujarat few months ago as they met our expectations. But in July meeting with Maharashtra leadership, they made a huge effort to outbid other states with competitive offer. We have to start in one place & based on professional & independent advice we chose Gujarat 3/4
— Anil Agarwal (@AnilAgarwal_Ved) September 14, 2022
This multibillion dollar long-term investment will change the course of Indian electronics. We will create a pan-India ecosystem & are fully committed to investing in Maharashtra as well. Maharashtra will be our key to forward integration in our Gujarat JV. (4/4)
— Anil Agarwal (@AnilAgarwal_Ved) September 14, 2022
“Thank you very much for choosing Maharashtra for the Vedanta-Foxconn affiliate project! We will always remain competitive and pro-business to attract investment to Maharashtra,” Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis tweeted.
We welcome your decision to choose #Maharashtra for forward integration. We will always remain competitive and extremely business friendly. #FoxconnVedanta https://t.co/G4uL9g0XHf
— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) September 14, 2022
Maharashtra industries minister Uday Samant also came up with a “thank you” post.
वेदांता-फॉक्सकॉनच्या संलग्न प्रकल्पासाठी महाराष्ट्राची निवड करण्याचा निर्णय घेतल्याबद्दल वेदातांचे अध्यक्ष अनिल अगरवाल यांचे आभार. महाराष्ट्रात मोठ्या प्रमाणात गुंतवणूक यावी आणि राज्यातील बेरोजगारी दूर व्हावी यास्तव युती सरकार कटिबद्ध आहे.
— Uday Samant (@samant_uday) September 15, 2022
He said chief minister Shinde conveyed his views to Modi after Vedanta-Foxconn signed the memorandum of understanding with Gujarat, the home state of the prime minister. It is also set to go to elections later this year.
“We are also feeling sad over losing the project. We are sorry. On Tuesday, the chief minister put forth his views before the prime minister on Vedanta (Foxconn semi-conductor project). The chief minister held a detailed discussion with the prime minister on this matter. The PM has assured the youth that a similar project, or a better one, will be given to Maharashtra,” the minister said.
Agarwal in his thread said his company would soon involve Maharashtra in “our forward integration” for the project in Gujarat. The company reportedly has plans to set up a hub in Maharashtra to make iPhones and television equipment.
“We decided Gujarat few months ago as they met our expectations. But in July meeting with Maharashtra leadership, they made a huge effort to outbid other states with competitive offer. We have to start in one place and based on professional and independent advice we chose Gujarat,” the veteran billionaire businessman said.
“This multibillion dollar long-term investment will change the course of Indian electronics. We will create a pan-India ecosystem and are fully committed to investing in Maharashtra as well. Maharashtra will be our key to forward integration in our Gujarat JV,” he tweeted.
A major tussle broke out between the two western neighbours soon after Vedanta-Foxconn finalised the project with the government of Gujarat to set up a semiconductor-manufacturing and display-fabrication unit.
Maharashtra was left disappointed as it had been trying to get the project for years.
There were allegations that political influence worked behind Gujarat, where the BJP is in power for more than two decades now, clinching the deal. It was also said that it got the project despite having no infrastructure to support it.
Shiv Sena leader and former state minister Aaditya Thackeray, slammed Shinde — who broke away from the Sena a few months ago and formed a new government with the BJP’s support.
He accused the Shinde-led government of losing the project to Gujarat saying the deal with Maharashtra was almost 95 per cent through.
Shinde’s team, on the other hand, blamed the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi government led by Uddhav Thackeray for sitting idle on the project offer for months.
Fadnavis also hit back at the critics in the opposition asking them who was responsible for the stalling of a Rs 3.5 lakh crore (£38.1 billion) refinery which was supposed to come up at Nanar in the coastal Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra.
