The proposal to build an World Convention-cum-Exhibition Centre on 50 acres at Shendra AURIC has stalled, with no progress reported over the past six months despite initial developments starting around one-and-a-half years ago.
The AURIC administration has not provided any updates on the project. Under the Delhi–Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC), the Shendra and Bidkin industrial belts of Auric industrial area have attracted investments worth over Rs 80,000 crore in the past nearly two years from companies such as Toyota–Kirloskar Motors, JSW, Ather Energy, Piramal Pharmaceuticals, Sago India Pvt. Ltd., Boshoko, and LNK, among others. In addition, new companies have sought about 2,500 acres of land, indicating continued investment interest in the region. Given the city’s growing industrial importance, a dedicated World Convention Centre was proposed to host industrial exhibitions, conferences, and events. The Chamber of Marathwada Industries and Agriculture (CMIA) and Massia had repeatedly demanded the project. OBC welfare minister Atul Save and union minister of state for finance Dr. Bhagwat Karad had also followed up with the industries department. During the Massia Expo in January 2022, it was announced that 50 acres of land near the AURIC building had been allocated for the convention centre. Later, in October 2024, a tender was issued to appoint a project consultant. However, industrialists rejected the consultant’s project report, which proposed a structure similar to a five-star hotel. Auric’s then managing director had assured that the design would be revised based on suggestions from industrialists.
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No discussion for a year
Last year, union commerce minister Piyush Goyal advised authorities to evaluate the project based on its cost and expected returns. Since then, discussions on the convention centre project have virtually stopped.