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The United Kingdom is already a partner for the event along with countries like Netherlands, Canada, Australia, Singapore, South Africa and Japan. The seventh edition of Gujarat government’s flagship biennial event will be inaugurated by Modi in January next year.
The development assumes significance as US had denied visa to Modi (then chief minister of Gujarat) in 2005 over handling of the 2002 riots in Gujarat. But now with Modi becoming the Prime Minister of India, US government was compelled to change its stand. Also, after Modi’s recent visit to the US and meeting with President Barrack Obama, there is excitement within the business community for enhancing trade relation with India. The US government has sent a proposal to the Gujarat government for becoming a partner country for the Vibrant Gujarat 2015 event. “We had invited US to become a partner country for the event long back. Against which we have received proposal from the US government showing interest in becoming partner country for the Vibrant Gujarat 2015 event. The proposal is under consideration and will be decided in 2-3 days,” said P Swaroop, managing director of Industrial Extension Bureau (iNDEXTb), the nodal agency for the Vibrant Gujarat 2015 event. If approved, US will be the eighth country to partner the biennial event. Swaroop said that since Modi will be inaugurating the event they have to limit the numbers as partners will be sharing the dais with the Prime Minister. As per Vajda, US sees India as an important market across all sectors. “There is an excitement in US business community post Modi’s visit,” Vajda said.
He added that his country recognised the importance of Vibrant Gujarat as a platform to support the India-US economic engagement. Within India, Gujarat has a reputation of a very hospitable destination to attract investment, the consul general further added. Vajda who was also present at the inauguration of US-based healthcare major Abbott's first greenfiled plant for manufacturing nutritional products in Bharuch on Thursday, had said that Modi's visit to the US will re-energise both the governments to look at a whole range of issues and try to make progress.
The Vibrant Gujarat 2013 had witnessed participation from nearly 121 countries with over 2,100 foreign delegates and around 58,000 Indian delegates. Japan and Canada were the Partner Countries for the summit and there were Partner Organizations like JETRO, Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC), US India Business Council (USIBC), UK India Business Council (UKIBC) & Australia India Business Council (AIBC). As many as 17,719 Investment Intentions and 2,670 Strategic Partnerships were signed in the areas of Technology transfer, R&D, Education, etc. during the summit.
The earlier edition of the summit in 2011, witnesses investment commitment of staggering Rs 20.83 lakh crore ($450 billion) far higher than Rs 12.37 lakh crore proposed in Vibrant Gujarat summit of 2009.
