CM Vishnu Deo Sai-led Cabinet clears excise policy, NMIMS campus and IT hubs

Several significant decisions have been taken in today's Cabinet meeting, held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai at the Chief Minister’s Residence Office, Civil Lines, Raipur.

1) The Cabinet has approved the proposal for the Chhattisgarh Excise Policy for the financial year 2026–27 and has authorized the concerned department to undertake all ancillary and consequential actions related thereto.

2) The Cabinet has approved the allotment of nearly 40 acres of land in Sector-18, Nava Raipur Atal Nagar, to Shri Vile Parle Kelavani Mandal (SVKM) on a 90-year lease for the establishment of its Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS), aimed at setting up a high-quality educational institution.

SVKM is a renowned institution active in the field of education since 1934. It currently operates 30 educational institutions, providing education to over one lakh students annually from pre-primary to doctoral programmes. In the NIRF University Rankings 2025, it secured the 52nd rank. The establishment of this national-level institution in Nava Raipur is expected to further strengthen access to modern and quality education in the State.

3) The Cabinet has decided to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) for the establishment of four new entrepreneurship centres in Nava Raipur Atal Nagar. This MoU will play a crucial role in promoting the IT/ITeS industry and the technology start-up ecosystem in the State.

STPI currently operates 68 centres, of which 60 are located in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities across India. In collaboration with the Department of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of Chhattisgarh, STPI will promote 133 domain-specific start-ups over the next three to five years through entrepreneurship centres focused on Artificial Intelligence, MedTech (based on herbal medicines and forest produce), Smart City solutions, and Smart Agriculture.

To support students, entrepreneurs, researchers, and industries in developing prototypes of ESDM products, the State Government will establish an Electronics System Design and Development (ESDD) Centre through STPI. This centre will provide comprehensive support to 30 to 40 hardware start-ups and MSMEs every year.

4) The Cabinet has taken necessary decisions to ensure the availability of quality diagnostic facilities in all government health institutions across Chhattisgarh. These measures aim to strengthen existing resources, increase the number of diagnostic tests in accordance with prescribed standards, and ensure effective operation of laboratories in District Hospitals, Community Health Centres, and Primary Health Centres throughout the State.