Prithviraj Chavan urges Bridgestone to set up R&D centre in Pune

Expressing the need for enrichment of local area through foreign investment, chief minister Prithviraj Chavan on Tuesday said that Bridgestone company should open a research and development centre at Chakan to harness the best educational infrastructure and manpower in and around Pune.

He was speaking at the inaugural function of the manufacturing facility of multinational tyre manufacturer, Bridgestone Corporation, at Chakan.

The chief minister said there are thousands of engineering institutions in Pune and the company can get the best value for its investment if it opens a research and development (R&D) centre in Pune. He said the company should employ bright youngsters from Pune and deploy them at its four global R&D centres and ascertain the prowess of Pune in this field.

Chavan said the lives of local residents should change with the advent of the plant. He said the plant should enrich the local people and take up corporate social responsibility initiatives in this regard.

He expressed the need for judicious use of water by the company and said the Chakan plant should be a green campus with optimum use of energy. The company handed over a cheque for Rs1 million towards the chief minister’s relief fund for natural calamities.

Rs2,600-cr plant
Bridgestone Corporation is going to invest Rs2,600 crore for its manufacturing plant at Chakan. Spread over 187 acres, the plant is going to provide employment to 1,800 people and would have the capacity to manufacture 13,000 tyres for cars, trucks and buses.