A 20,000 sq. ft. Skill Development Centre is set to be established at Aurangabad Industrial City (AURIC) in collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is expected to be signed next week. The announcement was made during DPIIT Secretary Shri Amardeep Singh Bhatia’s visit to Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar on 12 July 2025, where he reviewed regional industrial and startup development progress.The Secretary underlined the importance of attracting Global Capability Centres (GCCs) and fostering Research & Development (R&D) hubs to strengthen AURIC’s industrial and innovation ecosystem. Stakeholders proposed aligning PMAY 2.0 subsidies with state housing schemes to support inclusive urban development within the industrial township.An industry interaction session at AURIC Hall, chaired by the Secretary, saw participation from key associations including MASSIA, CMIA, CII, FICCI, and ASSOCHAM. Suggestions included improving connectivity along the Aurangabad–Hyderabad–Chennai corridor, developing a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility, introducing a Vande Bharat terminal, enhancing logistics at Bidkin, launching local train services between Jalna and Waluj, creating affordable housing via MHADA, and establishing a dedicated chemical zone.Recommendations also included:Increasing MSME land reservation from 10 to 40 per centReserving 10 per cent land for startupsStrengthening soft infrastructure and skill-building initiativesDr. P. Anbalagan, Secretary, Industries Department, Government of Maharashtra, shared the state’s strategic vision via initiatives like MITL and MMLP to drive regional industrial growth.The visit commenced with a session at the Marathwada Accelerator for Growth and Incubation Council (MAGIC), where the Secretary engaged with local entrepreneurs and incubators, applauding their innovation and reaffirming the Government’s support through Startup India, Fund of Funds, and sector-specific incentive schemes tailored to Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.He also visited the Bidkin Industrial Area, inspecting key sites such as JSW Green-Tech Ltd, Toyota Kirloskar, and the Water Treatment Plant. At Shendra Industrial Area, he reviewed facilities of NLMK India, Hyosung T&D Pvt. Ltd., and Coatall Films Pvt. Ltd., lauding their contributions to high-value manufacturing and employment generation—aligning with the Government’s Viksit Bharat@2047 vision.Shri Bhatia concluded the visit with an inspection of AURIC’s infrastructure, including the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC), AURIC Hall, and the 3D city model of Shendra.He emphasised the importance of strong government–industry collaboration to position Maharashtra as a global manufacturing and innovation hub, with unified commitment from state departments and industrial bodies to catalyse sustained regional growth.