Lt. Gov. Brian Calley is highlighting the opportunities available for Indian companies to invest and partner in the state during his week-long trade mission to India, emphasizing Michigan’s role as the automotive manufacturing and technology capital of the world.
“We are meeting with dozens of large and medium sized companies that are considering establishing a presence in North America and presenting the merits doing so in Michigan,” Calley said during his visit. “With all the reforms made over the last four years, we have a competitive operating environment in addition to the most talented and extensive manufacturing, R&D and design workforce in the world.”
Calley toured the General Motors plant in the historic city of Talegaon Dabhade and meeting with GM India suppliers to present Michigan as a location for North American operations. While there, he participated in an automotive supplier roundtable discussion and introduced Michigan trade mission participants to GM’s procurement team.
While in Mumbai, Calley opened the Michigan-Maharashtra Global Business Summit, the inaugural event of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s recently launched Global Business Summit initiative. The program will foster two-way trade and investment with strategic geographic markets around the world.
The summit was co-hosted by Mahindra & Mahindra, a global leader in automotive and farm equipment manufacturing, as well as the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corp. and the Indian Confederation of Indian Industries. To better understand the market opportunities, Calley, invited Mahindra & Mahindra to bring a delegation of the company’s top suppliers to Michigan next year.
Calley also is conducting a series of one-on-one meetings with senior executives of Indian manufacturing, engineering, and technology firms throughout the trip. Meetings have included discussions with executives of more than 20 Indian firms with collective annual revenue exceeding $200 billion.
During these meetings, Calley is presenting opportunities for firms to achieve additional global growth by investing in research and development and manufacturing jobs in Michigan. He is also working to open channels for small and medium-sized Michigan technology companies to sell into these major Indian operations. These new channels will be further developed by MEDC’s Pure Michigan Business Connect program.
