Guj woos European investment

VGGIS seeks to explore to further international ties

After securing memorandums of understanding (MoUs) worth over Rs 20 lakh crore at Vibrant Gujarat 2011 Summit, the state is now exploring to further international ties.

Under such efforts by the state government, Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of Gujarat on Saturday met top CEOs from European companies in New Delhi.

The meeting was part of an interactive session held between the Government of Gujarat and the European Business Group India (EBGI), attended by about 85 CEOs of European companies, and ambassadors and trade commissioners of the 27 European Union Member States, as well as representatives from the European Commission.

"We live in perhaps the most critical era since the 1940s. Many of our previous assumptions are being challenged by economic system failure and natural disasters. None of the global theories have proved to be sufficiently robust. The answers lie within each one of us and it involves nurturing our environment and our human resources, rich and poor, the powerful and the powerless. Mahatma Gandhi’s teachings have much to teach Europe and the world in this regard," said Modi, while adddressing the meet on 'Leadership in an Emerging Nation: Balancing Development and Economic Growth'.

Some of the key companies who attended the session include BAe Systems, Veolia Water India Pvt Ltd, Vodafone, BP, Dassault, EDF, IKEA, Rio Tinto and Halcrow India as well as Shell Hazira and Alstom India, the co-sponsors of the event with iNDEXTb, the Industrial Extension Bureau.

"Gujarat's growth leads India and Gujarat's growth is inclusive. Our focus now is on human development. Our efforts in terms of good governance have been recognised the world over. I trust European business agrees, Gujarat represents the best of India: our traditional morals and values combined with service delivery which meets global standards," Modi added.

Currently the leading European companies which have already invested in Gujarat include Heubach, BASF, Bayer, Siemens, Linde AG, Lanxess, Duravit, Pharmacia, Perstorp, Cheminova, and Sanofi Aventis, among others.