Maharashtra to invest Rs5,000 crore in MahaNet programme
1 min read 13 Oct 2016, 12:34 AM ISTMaharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis says by 2018 end the state will digitally connect 29,000 gram panchayats under the programme MahaNet
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Mumbai: The Maharashtra government is investing around Rs5,000 crore in the Digital Maharashtra project which in the first phase will digitally connect 29,000 gram panchayats across the state, said chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday.
He said by 2018 end the state will digitally connect these village bodies under a programme called MahaNet, which is part of BharatNet or Digital India. The programme will ensure quality education, healthcare, better access to government services and markets.
Maharashtra announced a partnership with Cisco for the programme. Fadnavis said the state would also be partnering with other domain players and companies for MahaNet.
The chief minister inaugurated Cisco’s new manufacturing facility at Pune. Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins said the company would partner with Maharashtra to deploy a smart city digital framework in Nagpur, facilitate digital learning for students and skill development for local entrepreneurs in Mumbai’s Dharavi slum, expansion of the Cisco Networking Academy, and digital education and healthcare initiatives in Fetri village in Nagpur district.
Also Read: Digital India will create impact by 2018: Forrester
Asked how much Cisco is investing in India, Cisco India president Dinesh Malkani said the company had a policy to not disclose the size of its investments. “But I can announce the job creation that Cisco would help generate. For every job that we add in our manufacturing facility, we create 10 more jobs in the ecosystem that develops," he said.
Cisco will establish 25 Cisco Networking Academies in Maharashtra to train and skill approximately 10,000 students by 2020, Malkani said.
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