Notwithstanding the divided public and political opinion about him, captains of Indian industry and businesses hailed in one voice his leadership qualities and the "Gujarat development model" as he wooed investors from 30 countries at his bi-annual showpiece event -- Vibrant Gujarat Summit, which got off to a start here today.
"Narendrabhai has the Arjuna-like clarity of vision. Narendrabhai literally is the lord of men, a leader among leaders and the king among kings," said Anil Ambani, chairman of ADAG group.
He went a step further when he put Modi in the league of Gandhi and Patel, the two most illustrious sons of Gujarat.
"Let me attempt to paint another picture: October 2, 1869, Porbandar, Gujarat - the birth of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the father of the nation; October 31, 1875, Nariyal, Gujarat - the birth of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, India's man of steel; December 28, 1932, Chorwad, Gujarat - the birth of Dhirubhai Ambani, India's greatest entrepreneur; and September 17, 1950, Vadnagar, Gujarat - the birth of Narendra Modi," he said.
Mukesh Ambani, his brother and Chairman of Reliance Industries, echoed his views, describing the chief minister as a "leader with grand vision and determination to translate that vision into reality".
"We began from Gujarat and we come back here again and again to invest. We have committed investment of Rs 100,000 crore in Gujarat. We will expand our operations in Gujarat in Jamnagar and Hazira," he said, adding Reliance was proud to be called a "Gujarati company". (More)
