Hon’ble Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Bhupendra Patel
Chief Secretary of Gujarat, Shri Pankaj Kumar
Excellencies & Distinguished Members of the Diplomatic Community,
My colleagues from MEA and the State Government of Gujarat,
Ladies & Gentlemen,
Good evening to all of you!
2. I am delighted to attend the curtain raiser event for the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit (VGGS), 2022. The fact that this is the 10th edition of the Summit makes this event more special. The event is expected to see a large participation of global leaders and top CEOs.
3. I am very happy to see a large presence of Ambassadors, High Commissioners and other Diplomats for this curtain raiser event. I thank you all for joining us today.
4. The Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit was conceptualized by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in 2003, when he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat. His presence in all the Summits so far has been a source of inspiration for all. During the 10th edition, the presence of the Prime Minister will provide an opportunity for the global leaders and top CEOs to interact with him.
5. The theme of the Summit is ‘From Atmanirbhar Gujarat to Atmanirbhar Bharat’, i.e., from self-reliant Gujarat to self-reliant India. The Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, launched by the Prime Minister, intends to make India a trustworthy global supply chain hub. A number of policy measures have been announced in the recent months that will move India in this direction. Ambitious structural reforms have been launched to deregulate and to enhance economic openness, good governance and global competitiveness. Policy measures such as the Production Linked Incentives scheme have been initiated to attract investments and promote manufacturing in India.
6. Gujarat and the whole country are now ready for business as never before. The government has placed great emphasis on improving the ease of doing business. The implementation of Goods and Services Tax and other measures of simplification and consolidation of taxes have reduced transaction costs and improved ease of doing business.
7. India has also made doing business smarter. We have made doing business faster and smoother through digital processes, online transactions and single point interfaces. Digital payments, including direct transfer of government benefits, are now under full implementation. India has created one of the largest eco-systems in the world for start-ups and a number of them have come up in the tech domain.
8. India is making huge public investments in improving its infrastructure. Prime Minister recently launched Gati Shakti – the National Master Plan for Multi-modal Connectivity – which is designed to create a seamlessly connected India. Our National Education Policy has laid the framework for educating a workforce for the 21st century.
9. Speaking recently at the COP 26 Summit, the Prime Minister announced India’s climate ambition through the Panchamrit or the five nectar elements. In line with the Prime Minister’s announcement, India is becoming a renewable energy powerhouse, beginning an energy transition and moving in the direction of creating a new green economy. India also plans to turn into a global hub for Green Hydrogen production and export under its National Hydrogen Mission.
10. The State of Gujarat is one of the foremost industrial hubs and most investor friendly States in our country. The State is a leader in a wide range of sectors, including petrochemicals, textiles, pharmaceuticals, automobiles, and gems and jewels. The State has one major and 48 non-major ports. In addition to a large set of already operational Special Economic Zones, special investment regions and Industrial Estates, the State is funding the establishment of industrial park, financial logistic park and industrial infrastructure projects. The GIFT City in Gujarat is becoming a hub for Fintech companies. A key contributor towards making a green Indian economy, the State has set ambitious targets for renewable energy production and extends several incentives in this area.
11. Gujarat has also been quick in recovering from the economic impact of the pandemic. Despite the economic disruption caused by COVID-19, India’s FDI inflows stood at USD 81.72 billion in 2021. Gujarat was one of the top recipients of these FDI inflows among the Indian States.
12. Gujarat has opened its doors to global companies looking to diversify their manufacturing bases following the pandemic. The Government of India is partnering with the State Government in its endeavors to attract fresh investments and boost economic activity.
13. The 10th Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit will provide an important platform to explore opportunities for trade and investment and for exchange of views with global leaders, top CEOs and businesses. Some of the reform initiatives that I touched upon in my remarks would be explored in greater detail at the Summit. I would request the members of the Diplomatic Corps present here today to reach out to the leadership as well as industry in your countries for their participation.
14. I also convey my best wishes to the State Government of Gujarat and assure them of the full support of the Ministry of External Affairs towards making the Summit a great success.
Thank you !