Modi to make brief halt in MP before investors' summit

Officials to apprise PM on preparations

A day before the fourth Global Investors' Summit begins in Madhya Pradesh's commercial capital of Indore, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will make a brief halt in the city on Tuesday en route to Maharashtra for poll campaigning.

"He is arriving in Indore on a brief transit visit; he'll then take a chopper to Maharashtra," a highly-placed official told Business Standard.

Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will be in Indore on Tuesday to receive Modi. Senior officials said they would brief Modi on the preparations being made for the summit. Modi is to deliver the keynote address at the investors' summit on October 9, which is expected to be attended by business tycoons such as Anil and Mukesh Ambani, Shashi Ruia, Anirudh Dhoot, Pawan Munjal, Cyrus Mistry and Debu Bhattacharya.

Five countries are taking part in the summit - Australia, Mexico, Canada, Czech Republic and South Africa. The Canadian province of Quebec is also participating. Belgium, Poland, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Sweden, Mexico and Malaysia have also confirmed their participation and will be represented by their embassies or high commissions in India.

The summit will have no memorandum of understanding signing ceremony. Kalraj Mishra, Union minister for micro, small and medium enterprises, will be the chief guest at the inaugural function. The summit will conclude on October 10.

"The three-day summit will showcase the potential as well as strength of Madhya Pradesh and provide global platform for businessmen of international community to interaction with senior government officials and Indian industry leaders, policy makers and other stakeholders," Madhya Pradesh CM Chouhan had recently told Business Standard.

The summit will focus on presenting thrust sectors such as agri-business and food processing, industrial infrastructure, pharmaceuticals, automobile and engineering, healthcare, information technology and IT-enabled services, renewable energy, textile and handloom, technical education and skill development, tourism, and urban development. The summit will conclude on October 10.