The Maharashtra government wants to link the country's largest container port Jawaharlal Nerhru Port Trust (JNPT) to the ambitious Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor project and said it would make suggestions to the DMIC Development Corporation on the alignment of the route in the state.

"We want JNPT, being a major port to be connected to the proposed Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor instead of routing from within the busy financial capital as it already has several infrastructure projects on hand," principal secretary for industry, A M Khan told PTI.

The government is also considering a plan to develop four towns--Dhule, Aurangabad, Nashik and Dighi which come within 150 km radius from the corridor alignment, as integrated mega towns under DMIC.

"These towns would have economic activities rather than just industrial units and would also attract international investment," Khan said.

A convention and exhibition centre has been planned at Shendra near Aurangabad. The town was chosen since the it is being developed under some other projects also, he said.

Engineering and design firm Aecom has been appointed as consultants to study and identify projects and companies which can make investment in these townships, the official said.

A high power committee under the chief secretary has also been appointed to look into the progress of the work. The committee would also help in providing logistics, power and water supply for the project, he said.

The Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor is a mega infrastructure project passing through six states--Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh--covering an overall length of 1,483 km between the political capital and the business capital of the country.