Leaders of industry shared their thoughts.
B K Goenka, Chairman of Welspun, recalling the journey of Vibrant Gujarat said that Vibrant Gujarat has become a truly global event. He recalled the vision of the then Chief Minister and current Prime Minister for whom investment promotion was a mission. He said that the event has become a role model for other states. He recalled his experience during the first Vibrant Gujarat when Shri Modi advised him to expand in the Kutch region which was recently devastated by the earthquake. The Prime Minister’s advice, Shri Goenka said, proved historic and with all the support they could start production in a very short span of time. He underlined the vibrancy of the present-day Kutch, a far cry from being just a deserted area and said soon the region will become the hub of green hydrogen for the world. He also remembered the Prime Minister’s optimism in 2009 amidst the global financial crisis and Vibrant Gujarat was a great success in that year also. More than 70 percent MoUs have seen investment in the state, he said.
Takashi Suzuki, Chief Director General, Jetro (South Asia) congratulated the Gujarat Government for the 20th anniversary of Vibrant Gujarat and said that Japan has been the biggest contributor to the Make in India initiative. Speaking about Jetro’s partnership with Gujarat since 2009, Mr Suzuki said that cultural and business linkages with Gujarat have only deepened with time and credited the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi upon whose recommendation, Jetro opened up its project office in Ahmedabad in 2013 to facilitate investments from Japanese companies. He also highlighted country-focused townships in India that have encouraged investments and mentioned that the project office in Gujarat was upgraded to the regional office in 2018. Mr Suzuki informed that Gujarat is home to almost 360 Japanese companies and factories. He also mentioned venturing into future business sectors in India such as semiconductors, green hydrogen, renewable energy and pharmaceutical sectors and informed about inviting a Japanese business delegation focussing on semiconductor electronics in the next Vibrant Gujarat. Mr Suzuki also thanked Prime Minister Modi for his guidance in making India a desirable place for investment.
Mr Lakshmi Mittal, Executive Chairman of ArcelorMittal said that the trend started by Vibrant Gujarat led to such events in other states also making India a favoured destination for global investors. He credited the Prime Minister’s vision and efficiency for this. He congratulated the Prime Minister for the G20 which has emerged as a global consensus builder under the leadership of the Prime Minister. Shri Mittal underlined Gujarat’s status as the leading industrial state and how it showcases global competitiveness in an effective way. He briefed about ArcelorMittal projects in the state
Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister remarked that the seeds sown twenty years ago have taken the form of a magnificent and diverse Vibrant Gujarat. He expressed delight at becoming a part of the 20th-anniversary celebrations of Vibrant Gujarat Summit. Reiterating that Vibrant Gujarat is not merely a branding exercise for the state but an occasion to strengthen the bonding, the Prime Minister emphasized that the summit is a symbol of a solid bond associated with him and the capabilities of 7 crore people of the state. “This bond is based upon the immense love of the people for me”, he added.
He said it is difficult to imagine the condition of Gujarat after the 2001 earthquake. Even before the earthquake, Gujarat was undergoing a long drought. These were compounded by the collapse of Madhavpura Mercantile Cooperative Bank leading to a chain reaction in other cooperative banks also. Shri Modi recalled that it was a new experience for him as he was new in the role in the government at that time. In this scenario, violence erupted in Gujarat in the wake of the heart-rending Godhara incident. Shri Modi said that despite his lack of experience as Chief Minister, he had full confidence in Gujarat and its people. He also recalled agenda-driven doomsayers of the time as a conspiracy to defame Gujarat was pursued.
“I took a pledge that whatever be the circumstances, I will take Gujarat out of this situation. We were not just thinking about reconstruction but were also planning for its future and we made the Vibrant Gujarat Summit one the chief medium for this ”, the Prime Minister said. He highlighted that Vibrant Gujarat had become a medium for uplifting the spirits of the state and engaging with the world. He underlined that the summit became a medium to showcase the decision-making and focused approach of the state government to the world while also bringing to the fore, the industry potential of the country. He further added that Vibrant Gujarat has been effectively used to present countless opportunities in a multitude of sectors, showcase the talent pool of the country, and highlight the nation’s divinity, grandeur and cultural traditions. Speaking about the time of organization of the summit, the Prime Minister mentioned that Vibrant Gujarat became a festival for the industrial development of the state as it is organized during the hustle and bustle of Navratri and Garba.
The Prime Minister remembered the indifference of the then central government towards Gujarat. Despite his dictum of ‘country’s development through the development of Gujarat’, the development of Gujarat was seen from a political prism. Foreign Investors chose Gujarat despite intimidation. This was despite no special incentive. He said the main attraction was good governance, fair and policy-driven governance, and an equal system of growth and transparency.
Recalling the 2009 edition of Vibrant Gujarat when the entire world was going through a recession, the Prime Minister mentioned that as the then Chief Minister of the state, he emphasized going forward and organizing the event. As a result, the Prime Minister underlined that a new chapter of Gujarat’s success was written during the 2009 Vibrant Gujarat Summit.
The Prime Minister explained the success of the Summit through its journey. The 2003 edition attracted only a few hundred participants; today more than 40000 participants and delegates and 135 countries take part in the summit, he informed. The number of exhibitors has also increased from 30 in 2003 to more than 2000 today.
The Prime Minister said that core elements of the success of Vibrant Gujarat are, idea, imagination and implementation. He underlined the audacity of the idea and imagination behind the Vibrant Gujarat and said that it was followed in other states.
“However great the idea may be, it is imperative for them to mobilize the system and deliver results”, the Prime Minister remarked as he noted that this organization of such scale requires intense planning, investments in capacity building, meticulous monitoring and dedication. He reiterated that with Vibrant Gujarat, the state government with the same officers, resources and regulations achieved what was unimaginable for any other government.
The Prime Minister said that today, Vibrant Gujarat has become an institution from a one-time event with an ongoing system and process within and outside government.
The Prime Minister emphasized the spirit of Vibrant Gujarat that aimed to benefit every state of the country. He remembered requesting other states to avail the opportunity that the summit offered.
Noting that the identity of Gujarat in the 20th century was that of trader-based, the Prime Minister informed that the transformation from the 20th to the 21st century led Gujarat to become a powerhouse in agriculture and a financial hub, and the state got its new identity as an industrial and manufacturing ecosystem. He also stated that the trade-based reputation of Gujarat was strengthened. The Prime Minister credited the success of such developments to Vibrant Gujarat which is working as an incubator for ideas, innovation and industries. Referring to the success stories and case studies from the past 20 years that have been made possible with effective policy-making and efficient project implementation, the Prime Minister gave the example of the growth in investments and employment in the textile and apparel industry and also mentioned the record growth in exports. Shri Modi touched upon the automobile sector where investments rose 9 times in comparison to 2001, a 12-time jump in the manufacturing output, a 75 percent contribution in India’s dyes and intermediates manufacturing, the highest share in investment in Agro and food processing industry in the country, more than 30,000 operational food processing units, more than 50 percent share in medical devices manufacturing and about 80 percent share in Cardiac Stents manufacturing, processing of more than 70 percent of the world’s diamonds, 80 percent contribution to India’s diamond exports, and 90 percent share in the ceramic market of the country with about 10 thousand manufacturing units of ceramic tiles, sanitary ware and different ceramic products. Shri Modi also informed that Gujarat is the largest exporter in India with a current transactional value of 2 billion US dollars. “Defense manufacturing will be a very big sector in the coming times”, he added.
The Prime Minister said “When we started Vibrant Gujarat, our intention was that this state should become the growth engine of the country’s progress. The country has seen this vision become reality.” He said in 2014’s goal of making India the growth engine of the world is finding resonance among international agencies and experts. “Today India is the fastest growing economy in the world. Now we are standing at a turning point where India is going to become a global economic powerhouse. Now India has to become the third largest economy in the world.”, he said. He asked the industrialists to focus on sectors which will help in giving new possibilities to India. He asked for a discussion of ways of giving momentum to the startup ecosystem, agri-tech, food processing and Shri Anna.
Talking about the growing need for institutions of financial cooperation the Prime Minister commented on the increasing relevance of GiFT City. “GIFT City reflects our Whole of Government approach. Here the Centre, State and IFSC authorities work together to create the best regulatory environment in the world. We should intensify efforts to make it a globally competitive financial marketplace”, he added.
The Prime Minister said that this is not the time to pause. “The next 20 years are more important than the last 20 years. When Vibrant Gujarat completes 40 years, India will not be far away from the centenary of its independence. This is the time when India will have to create a roadmap that will make it a developed and self-reliant nation by 2047”, concluded the Prime Minister expressing the hope that the Summit will move in this direction.
Governor of Gujarat, Shri Acharya Devvrat, Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Bhupendra Patel, Member of Parliament, Shri C R Patil, Ministers from Government of Gujarat and Industry Leaders were present on the occasion among others.
-PIB
