A high-level delegation from the Gujarat government, led by chief minister Narendra Modi, on Sunday showcased investment opportunities in the state, discussed trade partnerships and extended an invitation to investors from Andhra Pradesh for the Vibrant Gujarat Summit, scheduled to be held at Gandhinagar on January 12-13, 2011.
“I am well aware of the deep inroads made by Andhra Pradesh in recent years in the sunrise sectors like information technology, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and business management to emerge as a state of immense business opportunities. Gujarat is also equally strong in these areas, attracting investors from all over the world, thanks to the investor-friendly policies, best infrastructure, proactive bureaucracy and enterprising people,” Modi said.
At an interactive session organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)’s Andha Pradesh chapter here, which saw the participation of nearly 600 industrialists from the state, Modi highlighted the IT penetration in Gujarat with optical-fibre communication network of 50,000 kilometre and the state-owned GSWAN, linking all the district headquarters through 12,000 nodes.
In Gujarat, the industry has grown at 13 per cent and agriculture at 12.8 per cent in the last five years, and the state has amassed an industrial investment of $240 billion. The presence of Nano and Bombardier was an example of Gujarat’s growth potential and environment, he added.
“If you take tea in Singapore, you will taste the Gujarat milk. Similarly, if you ask for vegetables anywhere in Europe, you will get bhendi from my state,” Modi said, describing how Gujarat had made inroads into agriculture and industry in the last nine years.
Gujarat accounted for 30 per cent of the capitalisation of the Indian stock markets. The state has achieved a 30.8 per cent growth in per capita income in the last five years.
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“Gujarat is the only state to have state-wide water, gas and power grid where every village is 100 per cent electrified. Our public-private-partnership model of industrial promotion is a role model to not only the country but the entire world,” Modi said.
Gujarat has already hosted Industry Interaction Meets in Chennai, Mumbai, Bangalore and New Delhi in the last few days following the success of the 9 international trade missions to 24 different countries.