NEW DELHI: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has held a series of one-to-one meetings with senior executives of leading global companies on the sidelines of the three-day Annual Investment Meeting (AIM Congress-2026) in Dubai, seeking investments across logistics, retail, education, healthcare, renewable energy, technology, infrastructure and other sectors.
During the meetings at Taj Dubai, Yadav invited the business leaders to participate in the Global Investors Summit (GIS)-2027 to be held in Madhya Pradesh and highlighted the state’s connectivity, land availability, power surplus and investor-friendly policies.
In a meeting with Choithram Group chairman L T Pagrani, the chief minister discussed opportunities in modern retail, distribution and manufacturing. The Dubai-headquartered group, which has been operating since 1943, has a presence across the GCC, Europe, North America and Africa.
The group proposed establishing supermarkets and modern grocery retail formats in major Madhya Pradesh cities, along with central distribution centres, modern warehouses and cold-chain facilities. It also plans to explore direct procurement of agricultural and processed food products from farmers and local producers. These products could subsequently be processed, packaged and developed under private-label manufacturing units in the state before being marketed internationally through the group’s GCC retail network.
Yadav also met VFS Global chief executive Amit Satcher to discuss investment, employment, tourism, visa services and skill development. Expansion of visa application services in Bhopal and Indore was discussed, along with additional technology-enabled citizen services. The two sides also explored industry-oriented training programmes in travel, tourism and hospitality for local youth.
VFS Global, established in 2001, operates in 169 countries, including India, and reported revenue of Rs 1,356.55 crore in 2024-25. The chief minister assured the company of state government support for technology-enabled initiatives and invited it to GIS-2027.
Logistics and supply-chain development emerged as another key area during Yadav’s meeting with Sharaf Group president and CEO Shyam Kapoor. The group discussed setting up a rail-siding-equipped logistics park in Madhya Pradesh, with a proposed investment of USD 30-50 million, or roughly Rs 250-450 crore. The project could generate around 300-600 jobs.
The company has expressed interest in the Indore-Pithampur region and is also exploring other locations. Plans under discussion include multimodal logistics parks, regional distribution centres, warehousing and cold-chain infrastructure for agriculture, food, pharmaceuticals and organised retail. Export-oriented cargo consolidation and international distribution facilities are also being considered.
Through its Indian subsidiary Hind Terminals Pvt Ltd, the group operates in multimodal agri-logistics, rail-road transportation and third-party logistics. It operates around 35 freight trains and nearly 900 trucks in India and has a presence in 69 countries.
Healthcare, infrastructure, technology and energy were discussed during Yadav’s meeting with Buimerc Corporation chairman and CEO Siddharth Balachandran. The company expressed interest in long-term investments and equity participation in scalable enterprises in Madhya Pradesh, besides renewable energy, resource efficiency and commercially viable sustainability projects.
The discussions also covered capital support and international market access for emerging businesses in the state, as well as structured project pipelines for investment evaluation, due diligence and phased implementation. Yadav highlighted Madhya Pradesh’s healthcare infrastructure, improved connectivity and availability of land for medical-sector investments.
Education was another focus of the chief minister’s Dubai outreach. During a meeting with GEMS Education chairman and founder Sunny Varkey, Yadav presented the state’s education policies and initiatives and discussed investment opportunities in the sector.
GEMS Education expressed interest in establishing international-standard K-12 school campuses in major and emerging cities, particularly Indore and Bhopal. The proposed institutions could offer skill development, technology-enabled classrooms and programmes in STEM, artificial intelligence, coding and entrepreneurship. Teacher training and school leadership development would also form part of the proposed initiatives.
Yadav also held discussions with Rana Holdings Ltd chairman and managing director Dr Darshan Singh Rana on a proposed 10-year investment programme covering smart manufacturing, data centres, clean energy, green hydrogen, e-mobility and agricultural machinery.
The proposed investments include solar power generation, green hydrogen and energy-storage infrastructure, along with AI, cloud and high-performance computing data-centre campuses. The sides also discussed critical-mineral recycling, advanced industrial technology and manufacturing facilities linked to local supply chains.
Yadav said Madhya Pradesh had substantial potential in renewable energy and other sectors and highlighted the state’s surplus power and land bank. Rana Holdings, which manages investments through subsidiary companies, has a portfolio of around Rs 1.76 lakh crore and operates across the UAE, US, Africa, Portugal, Paraguay and Thailand.
The chief minister’s meeting with Crescent Enterprises CEO Badr Jafar covered renewable energy, industrial infrastructure, ports and logistics. Discussions focused on developing logistics, warehousing and export-oriented facilities for major production clusters, investing in technology-driven enterprises and scalable startups, and promoting sustainable urban infrastructure and circular-economy initiatives.
Jafar said he would participate in GIS-2027 with a delegation and explore investment opportunities in information technology and infrastructure through Crescent Enterprises. He also indicated plans to bring a delegation of 10-12 investors.
In another important meeting, Yadav held discussions with DP World CEO Rizwan Soomar on expanding the company’s operations in Madhya Pradesh. The talks focused on logistics, supply chains, infrastructure and connectivity, with particular attention to developing the Powarkheda logistics composite hub as a major gateway for inland logistics.
The proposed expansion includes multimodal logistics, warehousing and cold-chain facilities serving industrial and agricultural clusters. Discussions also covered connecting Madhya Pradesh exporters with major ports and global trade corridors, while using rail-based freight movement to reduce transportation costs and transit time for farmers, farmer-producer organisations, MSMEs and industries.
DP World, which operates across 80 countries including India, provides integrated end-to-end supply-chain and trade solutions spanning ports, terminals, contract logistics, freight forwarding and maritime services.
Across the meetings, Yadav stressed that Madhya Pradesh’s road, rail and air connectivity, industrial policies, land availability and power infrastructure provide a strong foundation for new investments. He urged global companies to explore opportunities in the state and participate in GIS-2027.