By Our Correspondent
NEW DELHI/BHUBANESWAR: ‘Uttarakhand Global Investors Summit 2023’ being held at Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, Uttarakhand was on Friday inaugurated by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi . Shri Modi also took a walkthrough of the exhibition and unveiled the Ground Breaking Wall. Prime Minister Modi also launched a book Sashakt Uttarakhand and the brand House of Himalayas. The theme of the Summit is ‘Peace to Prosperity’.
Governor of Uttarakhand, Retd. Lt. Gen Gurmit Singh, and Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami were present on the occasion among others.
Industry leaders also expressed their views on the occasion. Shri Pranav Adani, Director Adani Group and Managing Director (Agro, Oil & Gas) said that Uttarakhand has become one the most attractive destinations for private sector investment because of the state’s approach to its growth and development in recent times with an unbeatable combination of single-point clearances, competitive land prices, affordable power and efficient distribution, highly skilled manpower and proximity to the national capital and a very stable law and order environment. Shri Adani elaborated on his plans to expand in the state and bring in more investment and jobs. He thanked the Prime Minister for his constant backing of the state of Uttarakhand and said that the people of India have reposed unprecedented confidence and trust in him.
Shri Sajjan Jindal, Chairman and Managing Director of JSW highlighted the Prime Minister’s connections with the state of Uttarakhand which Shri Jinal experienced during the development projects of Kedarnath and Badrinath. He praised the efforts of the Prime Minister for changing the face of the nation and mentioned the parameters of GDP growth and India soon to become the 3rd largest economy in the world. Shri Jinal thanked the Prime Minister for his leadership in India’s journey to becoming a global superpower. He also mentioned the government’s emphasis on improving the connectivity to pilgrimage sites around the country. He expanded on the company’s plan to bring in investment of roughly Rs 15,000 crores in Uttarakhand and also spoke about the ‘Clean Kedarnath Project’ initiated in November. He thanked the Government of Uttarakhand for their support and assured the Prime Minister of the continued support of the company in the development journey of India.
Shri Sanjiv Puri, Managing director of ITC, recalling the success of the G20 Summit, praised the Prime Minister’s global statesmanship and his advocacy for the cause of the Global South. He said that a slew of purposeful policy initiatives in the last few years has placed India favourably in a world faced with multi-dimensional challenges. Transformation of many sectors in the economy and GDP numbers speak for themselves, he said. The leadership has created a situation where globally, this decade and, some are saying, the century belongs to India.
Founder of Patanjali and Yoga Guru Shri Baba Ramdev referred to the Prime Minister as the visionary of ‘Viksit Bharat’ and a family member of the 140 crore citizens of India as well as the world. He highlighted the Prime Minister’s goal of achieving a 5 trillion dollar economy and mentioned the contributions of Patanjali in bringing in investments and creating employment opportunities. He assured the Prime Minister of future investments of more than Rs 10,000 crores and more than 10,000 jobs in the coming times. He praised the determination and willpower of the Prime Minister in the creation of a new India.
He also praised the efforts of the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand in maintaining law and order in the states and urged the corporate houses to set up a unit in the state. He also applauded the development of tourism, health, education, agriculture, connectivity and infrastructure sectors of the state under the leadership of the Prime Minister. He appealed to the investors to strengthen the Prime Minister’s resolve to make India a global economic powerhouse and accomplish the goal of a Viksit Bharat.
Shri Kalyan Chakrabarti, CEO of Emaar India thanked the Prime Minister for providing direction, vision and foresight for the development of the country. He conveyed the corporate world’s commitment to be a partner in the journey of India becoming a Viksit Rashtra. He also pointed out new vibrancy in the India-UAE relationship. Emaar’s headquarters is in the UAE. Shri Kalyan Chakrabarti also highlighted the positive change that has come in the global outlook towards India. He mentioned several policy reforms like GST and the fintech revolution that are creating new opportunities for the industrial world.
Shri R Dinesh, Chairman of TVS Supply Chain Solutions reiterated the company’s commitment to the visionary leadership of the Prime Minister. He mentioned the contributions of the organization in Uttarakhand’s growth story and gave examples of manufacturing units of tyre and auto components, and services in the logistics and auto sector. He expanded on the company’s plans to further investments in the manufacturing sector and warehousing capacity, thereby creating more than 7,000 jobs across all family companies.
He emphasized the company’s readiness to handhold partners in the auto market sector by providing financial support and upskilling in the digital and sustainability transformation due to the changing present world scenarios. As the President of CII, he committed to establishing 10 model career centers to provide counseling and support for more than 1 lakh people. He informed that Uttarakhand will be the first state to establish a Speciality Multi Skill Development Centre with a capacity to train 10,000 people covering hospitality, health care and advanced manufacturing sectors.
Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister expressed his happiness for being in Devbhoomi Uttarakhand and remembered his utterance about the third decade of the century being the decade of Uttrakhand. Shri Modi said that it is a matter of satisfaction that the statement is being realized on the ground. The Prime Minister complimented the state government and all those involved in the successful rescue project of workers from the tunnel at Silkiyara.
Reiterating his close association with Uttrakhand, the Prime Minister said that Uttrakhand is a state where one feels divinity and development simultaneously. The Prime Minister recited one of his poems to further elaborate the feeling.
Referring to the investors present on the occasion as the heavyweights of the industry, the Prime Minister drew the analogy of a SWOT analysis carried out by the multinationals and emphasized performing this exercise on the nation. He highlighted that the results of the SWOT analysis will indicate an abundance of aspirations, hope, self-confidence, innovation and opportunities in the country. He also mentioned the indicators of policy-driven governance and the resolve of the citizens for political stability. “Aspirational India desires a stable government rather than instability”, the Prime Minister said as he threw light on the recently concluded Assembly Elections and underlined that the people voted based on good governance and its track record.
Prime Minister Modi highlighted the country’s capability to move forward at a record pace irrespective of the COVID pandemic and the unstable geo-political scenario. “Be it Corona Vaccine or Economic Policies, India had trust in its capabilities and policies”, the Prime Minister remarked. As a result, the Prime Minister said that India stands in a league of its own when compared to the other large economies of the world. He noted that every state in India including Uttarakhand is reaping the benefits of this strength.
The Prime Minister reiterated the benefits of a double-engine government whose double efforts are visible everywhere. While the state government is working keeping in mind the local realities, the Government of India is making unprecedented investments in Uttrakhand. Both levels of government are augmenting each other’s efforts. Referring to the work going from rural areas to Char Dham, the Prime Minister said that the day is not far when the distance between Delhi-Dehradun will be reduced to two and half hours worth of travel. Dehradun and Pantnagar airport extension will strengthen air connectivity. Heli-taxi services are being expanded in the state and rail connectivity is being strengthened. All this is creating new opportunities for agriculture, industry, logistics, storage, tourism and hospitality.
Contradicting the approach of the previous governments which granted limited access to places located on the border areas, the Prime Minister underlined the double-engine government’s efforts to develop them as the first village of the country. He mentioned the Aspirational Districts and the Aspirational Blocks Program where the emphasis is being laid on villages and regions that lagged in development parameters. Shri Modi highlighted the untapped potential of Uttarakhand and urged the investors to make the most out of it.
Throwing light on the tourism sector of Uttarakhand which has reaped the benefits of the double-engine government, the Prime Minister noted the enthusiasm of people around the world as well as the country to visit India. He informed about the creation of theme-based tourist circuits intending to introduce tourists to nature as well as the heritage of India. The Prime Minister underlined that Uttarakhand which encompasses nature, culture and heritage is going to emerge as a brand. He stressed the investors to make it a priority to explore and create opportunities in the Yoga, Ayurveda, Teertha and adventure sports sectors.
PM Modi appealed to the rich, the affluent and the youth of the country to initiate the movement ‘Wed in India’ along the lines of ‘Make in India’. He requested them to perform and organize at least one marriage ceremony in Uttarakhand in the next five years. “Even if 5000 weddings take place in 1 year in Uttarakhand, a new infrastructure will come into place and transform the state into a wedding destination for the world”, the Prime Minister said highlighting India’s potential to achieve any resolve that it takes.
The Prime Minister said that a strong wind of change is blowing in India. An aspirational India has been created in the last 10 years. A large chunk of the previously deprived population is being connected to schemes and opportunities. Crores of people who have come out of poverty are giving new momentum to the economy. Both neo middle class and Middle class are spending more “We have to understand the potential of India’s middle class. This power of society in Uttarakhand is also creating a huge market for you”, Shri Modi added.
The Prime Minister congratulated the Uttarakhand Government for launching the House of Himalayas brand and called it an innovative effort to take the local products of Uttarakhand to foreign markets. “House of Himalayas further strengthens our concept of Vocal for Local and Local for Global”, Shri Modi said. He noted that products from every district and block of India have the potential to become global. He gave the example of expensive clay utensils being made and presented in special ways in foreign countries.
Noting the skill and craft of the Vishwakarmas of India who traditionally make many such excellent products, the Prime Minister emphasized the importance of exploring the global market for such local products and urged the investors to identify such products in different districts. He also urged them to explore possibilities of engaging with women’s self-help groups and FPOs. “This can be a wonderful partnership to make local-global”, he added. Highlighting the Lakhpati Didi Abhiyan, the Prime Minister underlined his resolve to create two crore Lakhpati Didis from the rural regions in the country and said that the initiative will gain momentum with the launch of the House of Himalaya’s brand. He also thanked the Uttarakhand government for the initiative.
Referring to his clarion call from the Red Fort about strengthening the National Character, the Prime Minister exhorted everyone, “Whatever we do, it should be the best in the world. Our standards should be followed by the world. Our manufacturing should be on the principle of zero impact, zero defect. We now have to focus on how to increase export-oriented manufacturing.” He said ambitious PLI campaigns display a resolution of creating an ecosystem for critical sectors. He emphasized the need for strengthening local supply chains and MSMEs by new investment.
The Prime Minister said that there is a need to come out of the mentality of cheap exports and prioritizing capacity building. He mentioned a Rs 15 lakh crore import bill for petroleum and a Rs 4 lakh crore import bill for coal. He elaborated on the efforts to reduce the import of pulses and oilseeds as even today India imports 15 thousand crore worth of pulses.
The Prime Minister cautioned against packaged food in the name of nutrition while India is so rich in nutritious food like millets. He highlighted the possibilities of Ayush-related organic food and the opportunities that they provide for the farmers and entrepreneurs of the state. Even in packaged food, he asked the gathering to help the local product to access global markets.
Concluding the address, the Prime Minister remarked that the present is an unprecedented time for India, its companies and its investors. “India is going to become the third largest economy in the world in the next few years”, he stated as he credited the combination of stable government, a supportive policy system, mentality of reform and transform and confidence in development. “This is the time, the right time. This is India’s time”, the Prime Minister said as he appealed to the investors to walk with Uttarakhand and participate in its development journey.
