The Hindu Business Line : Delegation from 37 nations to attend Vibrant Gujarat meet next week

Snapshot
In next week’s event, about 5,000 people, including delegations and captains of industry and business from India and abroad, are expected to participate in the inaugural function.
An additional 4,000 people would participate in a series of seminars being organised on 12 sector-specific issues.

Our Bureau

Ahmedabad, Jan. 7 Business delegations from 37 countries and about 60 transnational companies would attend the Fourth Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors’ Summit (VGGIS), scheduled to be held here on January 12 and 13, with Japan as a partner country, the Gujarat Chief Minister, Mr Narendra Modi, said on Wednesday.

“The identity of Gujarat is not restricted to investments or setting up of maximum projects or good governance. A few days back, in the British House of Commons, the Vibrant Gujarat event motion got the highest number of votes amongst all motions passed during the year. Today Gujarat is benchmarked for development in the country,” he told a press conference here.

The focus of the Fourth VGGIS will be the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and the tourism sector.

“In the current global meltdown, the SMEs of Gujarat will lend a big support to the mega industries and thereby create their identity across the world,” he said, adding that the event would provide an opportunity to Gujarat-based SMEs to network with their counterparts abroad.

“We want our SMEs to be perfect and emerge as zero-defect units the way Italian SMEs have emerged on the European scene. The Government of Gujarat would be signing MoUs with some countries, like Italy, for sharing know-how in this regard,” he added.

Asked about the possible impact of the global meltdown on VGGIS, Mr Modi said that Gujarat is the only State in India where two more SEZs have been approved recently, and where investments worth Rs 25,000 crore have been promised. “But I am concerned with the woes of diamond polishers and cutters of Surat and other places. I have also spoken about them to the Prime Minister.”

The first three summits were held in 2003, 2005 and 2007 when the State Government signed MoUs with businesses promising investments to the tune of Rs 67,000 crore, Rs 1.06 lakh crore and Rs 6.66 lakh crore, respectively.

“As against the national average of 25 per cent MoUs being converted into actual investments, our success rate is 60 per cent,” Mr Modi asserted.

Numbers expected

In next week’s event, about 5,000 people, including delegations and captains of industry and business from India and abroad, are expected to participate in the inaugural function.

An additional 4,000 people would participate in a series of seminars being organised on 12sector-specific issues.

Exhibitions, cultural programmes and other events have also been lined up until January 14.

As a warming up exercise to market ‘Brand Gujarat’, the State Government had already organised six road-shows abroad and as many in major Indian cities. According to the Chief Minister, “it is the corporates who come forward to sign the MoUs. The intent of the Government is to systematise the follow-up and facilitate.”

The State Government strives to create an environment where investments are secure, with faster and adequate returns.

The industrial environment is directed to enhance employment. “The VGGIS shall become a platform that will help generate employment and employability in today’s challenging times.”

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