Himachal Government on Sunday signed 27 Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) worth Rs 3,307 crore with various industrial sectors at Chandigarh that would provide direct and indirect employment opportunities to around 15,000 persons.

Director Industries Rakesh Kumar Prajapati signed the MoUs on behalf of the State Government.

Speaking on the occasion, Industries Minister Bikram Singh asserted that the state leads in ease of doing business ranking amongst neighbouring States Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Delhi.

The State Government offers distinct advantages to the investors such as affordable land cost, high quality and reliable power supply, proactive and accessible administration, he said adding that some investors had evinced interest in setting up ethanol units.

He said that Himachal is perhaps the only state in the region to have a state-of-the-art Defence Park at Nalagarh.

On the occasion, M/s Trident Co. signed a MoU worth Rs 800 crore for setting up a textile park in the state, M/s Better Tomorrow Infrastructure and Solution Private Limited signed a MoU worth Rs 490 crore for setting up a private industrial park. M/s Madhav Agro signed a MoU worth Rs 400 crore for setting up a private industrial park. M/s Himalayan Group of Institutions signed a MoU worth Rs 150 crore for setting up the first skill university in Himachal.

M/s Pitaara TV signed a MoU worth Rs 100 crore for setting up a film city in the state. M/s Metaphysical Healthcare Private Limited, a franchise of Apollo Hospital signed a MoU worth Rs. 150 crore for setting up a 250 bedded hospital, M/s Nachiketa Papers Ltd. signed a MoU worth Rs 100 crore for manufacturing of craft and duplex boards. For achieving the target of the Government of India for blended fuel and making India self-reliant, the State Government also invited manufacturers from the ethanol sector. A total of 6 MoUs worth Rs 1,000 crore were signed for setting up of ethanol plants in the state. The Industries Minister said that the proposals received are intended to make investment in various sectors such as ethanol, medical devices, education and skill development, pharmaceuticals, paper manufacturing, food processing, healthcare, automobile, electronics manufacturing and industrial infrastructure also.

He said that as a new trend in the state, few entrepreneurs have also shown intent in developing private industrial areas and theme parks in Himachal. The state Government has already made provision of incentives and concessions in the HP Industrial Investment Policy 2019 for setting up of private industrial areas and theme parks, he added.