Karnataka to pitch for NRI investment at Pravasi Bharatiya Divas

The delegation is holding a series of meetings with non-resident Indian investors at both events to attract investments

The Karnataka government is making a hard pitch for investment at the three-day Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, which began on Wednesday at Gandhinagar in Gujarat.

The state delegation, led by Minister for Higher Education and Tourism R V Deshpande and additional chief secretary, commerce and industries, Ratna Prabha, is holding a series of meetings with non-resident Indian (NRI) investors at both events to attract investments.

The Gujarat government’s investors’ summit, Vibrant Gujarat 2015, is being held during January 11-13.

“Karnataka is participating for the first time in the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, with a big delegation of government officials and industrialists. We are showcasing the state at the exhibition and holding business-to-business meetings. There are immense opportunities for investments in tourism and industrial sectors in the state,” Ratna Prabha told Business Standard.

The government wants to make use of the opportunity as a large number of NRI investors would be attending the summit. “Also, we are showcasing the strengths of the state in manufacturing, textiles and aerospace, other than information technology as a friendly destination for investment during the exclusive session on Karnataka,” she added.

The Karnataka delegation comprises senior government officials such as Arvind Jadhav, additional chief secretary, the department of tourism, and Gaurav Gupta, commissioner for industrial development.