Maharashtra Chamber’s Centenary Celebrations Launched By Shri. Amit Shah Along With The Inauguration Of The New MACCIA Head Office At Mumbai

Maharashtra Chamber’s Centenary Celebrations Launched By Shri. Amit Shah Along With The Inauguration Of The New MACCIA Head Office At Mumbai

Shri. Lalit Gandhi applauded by the Union Minister on being re-elected unopposed asMACCIA’s President for the fourth consecutive time

Shri. Lalit Gandhi has been re-elected unopposed as the President of Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (MACCIA), for the fourth consecutive time. The Chamber has been functioning as the apex body of industry, trade and agribusiness in Maharashtra for close to a century and its centenary celebrations were recently launched by the Union Minister for Home,and Cooperation Shri. Amit Shah, while inaugurating the new MACCIA Head Office at Mumbai. During the event, Shri. Shah also presented Shri. Gandhi with the Presidential Cup, and congratulated him for his compelling and resounding victory.Maharashtra Chief Minister DevendraFadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister EknathShinde, Union Minister MuralidharMohol, Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar, Industries Minister UdaySamant, Culture Minister Ashish Shelar, Skill Development Minister MangalPrabhatLodha and various high-level dignitaries were present to actively participate in the inauguration of the new head office,which was followed by the launch of the Chamber’s centenary celebrations in their august presence wherein the MACCIA Centenary logo was also unveiled. The MACCIA Board Members (Shri. RavindraMangave – Sr. Vice President, Shri. Ashish Pednekar – Chairman, MACCIA Trust, Shri. Karunakar Shetty – Vice President, Shri. Shankar Shinde – Vice President, Shri. Sanjay Sonawane – Vice President, Smt. SangitaPatil – Vice President, Shri. RamakantMalu – Vice President, Shri. Dilip Gupta – Vice President, Shri. PrafulMalani – Vice President, Shri. ShrikrishnaParab – Vice President, and the permanent invitees Shri. Vijay Vedmutha and Shri. KantilalChopda) were also present in full strength along with the Secretary General, Mrs. NeelakshiRadhakrishnan.

In his keynote address, Shri. Amit Shah shed light on the lasting impact of Seth WalchandHirachand, a trailblazing businessman whose achievements have benefited Maharashtra and the country directly and indirectly through his entrepreneurial legacy ever since he set up his first venture in the beginning of the 20th century. He stressed that only a few organisations reach the centenary stage and hence, such milestones definitely needs to be celebrated. But at the same time, these occasions should also be used by the institutions to reflect and rejuvenate in addition to being proud of their history.The Union Home Minister noted that the national and international economic landscapes have changed dramatically in the century since MACCIA was established and therefore, prompted all the chambers of commerce nationwide to modify their practices and reevaluate their roles in the light of globalisationand the recent tariff wars that are changing trade, industry, and agriculture. In order to align their operations with the changing economic and policymaking frameworks of the central and state governments, he urged them to collaborate with professional institutions and benchmark themselves with international standards. It was pointed out that the nation’s economic growth had even surpassed its colonial rulers to become the fourth-largest economy in the world. He attributed this noteworthy development, particularly the improved international status of the Indian passport, to policy reforms and their vigorous execution under Prime Minister Shri. NarendraModi's direction.According to Shri. Shah, Maharashtra has emerged as a paragon of India's industrial development, housing the nation's financial hub and accounting for 39% of all foreign direct investment (FDI) in the country. The state is also at the forefront of infrastructure development, including the planned Vadhavan Port, the bullet train project (Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor),Nagpur-Goa Shaktipeeth Expressway and the under-construction Navi Mumbai International Airport, apart from the existing world-class infrastructure comprising Mumbai Trans Harbour Link / Atal Setu, Mumbai Coastal Road, and Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi Expressway amongst others. Maharashtra also leads the nation in terms of number of startups, tourists, and female income tax filings Speaking on the growth of Mumbai and neighbouring regions, the Union Home Minister disclosed that the central and state governments are investing more than Rs.7 lakh crore in transformative projects while using the ‘double-engine’ governance style, which has infused fresh vitality to Maharashtra and ushered long-term growth. Shri. Shah mentioned that the state had received Rs. 1.91 lakh crore in central devolution and grants between 2004 and 2014, while it rose to Rs. 7.82 lakh crore during the Modi government's tenure from 2014 to 2024. He emphasised the value of cooperative federalism and claimed that PM Modi's‘Team India’ concept is essential to the advancement of the nation whereby the country’s unprecedented development is being fuelled by the combined efforts of the States and the Centre as well.The Union Home Minister went on to say that MACCIA's role is still vital even after 100 years since it keeps putting up requests for new infrastructure projects, influences policy changes, and proposes solutions to problems in commerce, industry, and agriculture. As he concluded his speech, Shri. Shah exhorted all chambers of commerce to keep up with the times and continue its role of facilitating trade, industry and agriculture in order to enhance the nation’s economic development.Shri. DevendraFadnavis, Chief Minister, Govt. of Maharashtra said that the Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (MACCIA) has paved the way for creating new entrepreneurs in the field of industry, trade and agriculture. There are many institutions with the name of chamber of commerce/industry in the country. But MACCIA is the only institution with the combined name of commerce, industry and agriculture, and he noted that an influential institution like FICCI was created through this institution. He highlighted the fact that the Chamber, which was started about a 100 years ago with the aim of Indianising industry and trade, has withstood all changes and challenges that came in its path to stand proudly today. The influence of the Chamber can be seen from the fact that Shri. B.G. Kher, a board member of the Chamber, became the first Chief Minister of Maharashtra after independence. The Chief Minister concluded his speech with congratulations to the Chamber’s Board and offered them his full support for the future journey of the organisation.Deputy Chief Minister EknathShinde, while mentioning the glorious achievements of MACCIA, congratulated the Chamber for its valuable contribution towards the development of the state. He added that under the leadership of Shri. Lalit Gandhi, the organisationhas implemented many important initiatives for the development of Maharashtra's industrial and trade sector. Moreover, he was confident that the Chamber President’s current tenure would witness many more peaks and stellar achievements.Shri Lalit Gandhi, the President of MACCIA, thanked the members for electing him unopposed for the fourth time.Stating that taking charge at the hands of the Union Home Minister, Shri. Amit Shah, otherwise known as the country's strongest leader in the PM’s cabinet, is the most glorious event in his life. He said that he would always strive to fulfill the expectations as expressed by all the dignitaries in the coming days while assuring them that for the all-round development of Maharashtra's industrial, trade and agricultural sector, he will continue to play an effective role at the national and international level through the Chamber.Briefing the gathering about the legacy of the Chamber, the President said that the venerable institution was formed in 1927 and apart from being the brainchild of Shri. WalchandHirachand,it also laid the foundation of Indian industry during the colonial rule. In the pre-independence era, MACCIA took the initiative to protect and promote indigenous trade and industries. Later, during the era of a regulated economy, it guided entrepreneurs on how to survive amidst complex legal frameworks while staying committed to growth. It provided training, guidance, and continuously nurtured entrepreneurial spirit. In the era of globalisation, liberalisation, and privatisation, the Chamber made consistent efforts to help businesses stand firm in global competition and continue progressing.Shri. Gandhi proposed that the Solapur Airport be named as WalchandHirachand Airport and also requested that the Bharat Ratnabe awarded posthumously to the pioneering industrialist and founder of MACCIA, since he was the force behind many of modern India’s industrial sectors ranging from aeronautics (Hindustan Aircraft Ltd. later renamed as Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.) to automobiles (Premier Automobiles Ltd.)to shipping(The Scindia Steam Navigation Company Ltd.) and shipyards (Scindia Shipyard Ltd. later renamed as Hindustan Shipyard Ltd.)through his pre-eminent companies in these domains.