With the 9th edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2019 fast approaching, Gujarat Energy Minister Shri Saurabh Patel held the official roadshow for the Summit at the Westin here today.
Addressing a hall filled with key industrialists of the city, Shri Patel laid out the theme and focus for the 9th edition of the biennial summit. He spoke in detail about the investment potential in Gujarat and gave a glimpse of the government policies designed for different sectors that have furthered growth and investment in the state of Gujarat.
Inviting participation at the upcoming Vibrant Gujarat Summit, Shri Patel said, “Most of you have been strong partners in Gujarat’s progress, and have been with us, through the decades, to channel effective economic development in Gujarat. Today, Gujarat, with an 8% share in national GDP, is one of the fastest growing states of India, which in turn is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Gujarat today is a testimony of the fact business and companies from all over the world and in India have shown their confidence and optimism in Gujarat as a preferred destination to live in and to do business.”
Shri Patel also spoke about mega projects such as the Special Investment Regions at Dholera and Mandal-Becharaji; GIFT City; Saykha Industrial Estate within PCPIR; Coastal Economic Zone in Kachchh; and India’s first 1 GW offshore wind energy park, the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor and Ahmedabad-Mumbai Bullet Train.
Along with industrial growth, he emphasized the government’s focus on providing good healthcare and education for the citizens of Gujarat through the implementation of the Aayushman Bharat program. In terms of education and skill development, he said, “The Government is laying a strong emphasis on collaborating with global organizations and corporations, to establish skill development infrastructure and programs. Such skill development would be aimed at making Gujarat’s workforce more deployable and skilled, in the face of the upcoming Fourth Industrial Revolution.”
Gujarat has set an example for rest of the states of the nation as to how investment opportunities could be explored and employment can be generated by laying proactive policies for investment. Shri Patel also spoke of the fact that while Vibrant Gujarat may have started out as a summit to attract investments to the State of Gujarat, today it caters to the global audience. Vibrant Gujarat is opportunity for other states also to interact with the global business community, which will eventually benefit their state.
Elaborating further on the investment potential of Gujarat, Smt Sunaina Tomar IAS, Principal Secretary (Ports and Transport Department) said, “Gujarat is one of India’s most industrialized and urbanized economies, and is among the leading Indian States on several economic and social indicators such as GDP growth rate, industrial output, per-capita income and so on. Gujarat’s economic development is built on the strong foundations of a strategic location, robust physical and social infrastructure, proactive governance, and Ease of Doing Business. Hence, the State has traditionally been an ideal choice for investment, for both domestic as well as multinational businesses. In addition to actual investments in business ventures, the State also offers a strategic trade and exports gateway to the global commerce community.”
The Energy Minister also held one to one meetings with CEOs and MDs of key industries in the region and apprised them about investor friendly policies of the State Government and invited them to participate in the upcoming Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit.
