Karnataka Chief Minister Yediyurappa beginning bilateral discussions on the first-day of World Economic Forum (WEF) at Davos, Switzerland, urged investors and entrepreneurs to create more jobs and improve rural economy.

The Chief Minister made a fervent appeal to investors to base their investments and industries for creating more jobs and their investments more farmer-oriented.

Representatives of the Swiss-based 2000 Watt company involved in smart cities development projects and food processing clusters made their presentations on their projects.

After hearing them out and going through their presentations, Yediyurappa expressed his keen interest to boost the farmers’ economy which could check the increasing suicidal tendencies in farmers. He suggested the investors to look at the economic development of farmers and rural masses along with their growth.

Yediyurappa said “whatever we are doing and the goal with which we are here , the farmers development and rural economy is of utmost priority for us. Definitely we want new projects and investments, our purpose is to boost the State’s economy and provide jobs for the youth to make them self sustainable.”

He was keen on value addition to farm produce which could boost farm economy and expressed interest in 2000 Watt company’s involvement in developing food clusters in rural areas.

2000 Watt company representatives disclosed that they have a technology and are ready to invest on food clusters which can provide remunerative price to the farm produce. “We will provide all assistance and scientific farm techniques to grow healthy food and market them with added value,” a scientist and academician Andreas Binkert disclosed expressing company’s keenness to invest in food clusters in Karnataka.

Madhav Bhagwat the founding partner of the company briefed the Chief Minister and State Industries Minister Jagadish Shettar on the new concept of smart cities planned by 2000 Watt.

“We are experts in carbon-neutral smart township development projects and already we have signed a MoU with Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA).

Earlier, ReNew Power delegates expressed their interest in setting up solar power plants in barren lands in the State, particularly in North Karnataka districts such as Vjaipura, Kalaburagi, Koppal and Raichur.

“We are planning to set up power storage batteries and gadgets to store the power produced in excess of the State’s demand,” said Samanth Sinha CEO of ReNew Power, and suggested that the government eliminate all bureaucratic and legal bottlenecks to improve the ease of doing business.

Most of the delegates from various companies which participated in today’s discussions with the chief minister and other state delegates wanted the process of buying land from farmers made easy for business. This will happen only when some unwanted laws are either amended or removed, they said.

Chief Minister Yediyurappa said, “I am ready to go a mile extra to help the investors and industries which take care of our farmers and rural youth.”

Industries Minister Jagadish Shettar; Karnataka Chief Secretary TM Vijaybhasker; IT BT Secretary V Ramana Reddy; Industries Secretary Gourav Guptha; CM’s secretary Selvakumar; and Industries commissioner Gunjan Krishna also participated in the meetings.