I welcome you all to the Vibrant Gujarat Summit. I also wish you a very happy, prosperous and successful new year. I fondly recall the modest launch of this event in 2003. Since then it has been a very successful journey.
I express my gratitude to the partner countries and organisations – a list which includes Japan, Canada, USA, UK, Netherlands, Australia, Denmark, France, Poland, Sweden, Singapore and UAE. I particularly thank the initial partner countries of the Vibrant Gujarat event: Japan and Canada.
Many other prestigious global organisations and networks are also partners of this event. I thank you all for this partnership. Your presence is a source of motivation for business leaders as well as young entrepreneurs gathered here. Without your support, this event could not have seen eight biennial chapters; each better and bigger than the earlier one.
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The last three events have been particularly big. The presence of political and business leaders from more than 100 countries, and a large number of organisations from around the world make this a truly global event.
I would urge the participants to reach out to each other and to derive the greatest benefit from this summit. You should also visit the trade show and the exhibition where hundreds of companies have showcased their products and processes.
Gujarat, the land of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel, also represents the business spirit of India. Through the ages, it has led in commerce and enterprise. Centuries ago, its people went across the seven seas in search of opportunities. Even today, this state boasts of being the origin of the highest number of our people living and working abroad. And wherever they have gone, they have created a mini-Gujarat. We proudly say: ????? ????? ??? ?? ???????, ????? ????? ?????? ??????. In other words, Wherever a Gujarati resides; there, forever, resides Gujarat.
Gujarat is currently in the midst of the Kite Festival. May the kites inspire us all to fly high.
Friends!
As I have often said India’s strength lies in the three Ds: Democracy, Demography and Demand.
Our biggest strength is the depth of our Democracy. Some people say that democracy cannot deliver effective and fast track governance. But we have seen in the last two and a half years that it is possible to deliver quick results in a democratic set up as well.
Over the last two and a half years, we have also evolved a culture of healthy competition among states. States are being rated on parameters of Good Governance. The World Bank is helping us in this process.
Coming to Demography, ours is a nation of vibrant youth. The disciplined, dedicated, and talented youth of India offers a globally unmatched work-force. We are the second largest English speaking country. Our youth are not merely looking for jobs. They have begun taking risks and often prefer to become Entrepreneurs.
On the Demand front, our rising middle class offers a huge domestic market.
The seas that surround the Indian peninsula, connect us to some of the world’s biggest markets, including Africa, the Middle East and Europe.
Nature has been kind to us. Our three crop seasons enable us to grow food, vegetables and fruits in abundance.
The diversity in our flora and fauna is unparalleled. The richness of our culture and its living symbols is unique. Our Institutions and scholars are recognised the world over. India is now an emerging R&D hub. We produce the world’s second largest number of scientists and engineers.