OUTLOOK-2005

Narendra Modi,
chief minister, Gujarat
During 2005, we would ensure clean air for people in Ahmedabad and other major cities in Gujarat.

The state would emerge the Petrocapital of India. While CNG would be used for transportation, gas would be reached to industries as a cheaper and cleaner alternative and gas also would be reached in houses through pipes for cooking.

Thirty CNG stations would be put up during the year in Ahmedabad as a part of the effort.

Saurabh Dalal,
minister of state for energy, petrochemicals
We expect to give clean air to each and every Gujarat resident. In this regard we are inaugurating the first CNG station at Maninagar on Friday.

2005 will be a happening year as we expect to provide electricity to all the 18,000 villages of the state. We have already completed electrification of 6,000 villages, and 12,000 more would be completed in 2005. The year 2005 will also enmark Gujarat as a 'gas capital of India.'

Bakul Dholakia,
director, IIM-Ahmedabad
2004 was a hectic year for all those concerned with IIM-A. During the next 365 days, we would be focussing on strengthening our efforts in the field of globalisation and building linkages with the reputed institutions across the world as we have already entered into undrstanding with two institutions in Singapore and Cairo.

Tsunami, which cost so many lives, is a warning. During 2005, IIM-A would focus on disaster management. People from other agencies and government also will have to come forward.

Sanjay Gupta,
CEO, Adani Group
Adani Group will be buzzing with a lot of activities in the new year. With the special economic zone taking its shape, Mundra port is expected to do a lot better business in 2005. We aim to be a leading player in the infrastructure sector, and in this regard we will be taking two new port projects in 2005, one in Gujarat and the other on the eastern or western coast.

We will also emerge as a major player in providing logistics services, including wearhousing to third party logistics services.

Verghese Kurien,
chairman, GCMMF
I wish the new year to bring in lots of hope and happiness to the small and marginal farmers of the country. I expect 2005 to boost dairy sector in the country and other parts of developing and underdeveloped in the Amul pattern.

GCMMF has already contributed Rs 1 crore to the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the Tsunami affected states and has also sent tetra packed Amul milk to disaster-hit states

Anil K Khandelwal,
CMD, Dena Bank
I feel that the new year would be great for banking sector with consolidation happening.

The banking reforms, to be announced by the Centre soon, is also expected to come out with ideas of managerial autonomy to the nationalised banks. As far as Dena Bank is concerned, we expect that in 2005 Dena Bank will emerge as a strong and smart mid-size bank.