Vibrant Gujarat meet on track, even without Modi

The event is scheduled on January 11, 12 and 13, 2015

With reports of a Vibrant India investors’ meet in November under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, questions have been raised over what will happen to the next scheduled meet of the Gujarat government’s flagship Vibrant Gujarat.

The state government says the event is scheduled in mid-January 2015, with a series of sector-specific events beginning July 2014, followed by theme-based exhibitions and preparatory discussions with partner countries.

The Vibrant Gujarat summit, a Modi idea, began in 2003 with the objective of attracting investment to the state, after the adverse impact due to the 2002 riots. Though the biennial event had a modest beginning, each passing edition had led to the event growing in stature. At one point, Modi himself likened it to the Davos global meet.  Memoranda of understanding became investment intentions and strategic partnership commitments, the total of which from all the summits put together are about 35,000 worth Rs 40 lakh crore over the years.

Officials in charge of Vibrant Gujarat 2015 say the event would be as grand as Modi would have wanted it to be if he was still heading the state government. “It is well on track, with everything going on schedule,” said a senior bureaucrat of the iNDEXTb (Industrial Extension Bureau), nodal agency for the event.

According to a member of an industry think tank, the state government sets up for every Vibrant Gujarat summit, momentum will pick up after the impending state budget presentation.  He denied any impact of Modi’s departure from the state.

“We are sure participation will be more than the last time. Both global and domestic industry has been waiting for the platform, since the economic slowdown is waning. Also, it is the same government at both state and Centre. And, any investment commitments made at the Centre’s level will eventually come down to states,” the member added.

The event is scheduled on January 11-13, 2015, with the Netherlands, Canada, the UK, Australia and Singapore as partner countries. A series of events have been scheduled from the last week of this month, to continue till January 2015. Recently, Canadian high commissioner Stewart Back met Gujarat chief minister Anandiben Patel and briefly discussed the development of a two-way partnership with Gujarat in trade, industrial innovation, tourism and skill development.

An Australian delegation led by its commercial minister for the South Asia Region also met Patel and discussed ways to strengthen the relationship in dairy, fishery, mining, sports and other sectors. Nicola Watkinson, the delegation’s head, offered contribution to Gujarat’s skill development programmes, setting up a centre of excellence for the mining sector and developing sports curricula at universities.

Vibrant Gujarat 2013 had seen 2,100 foreign delegates from 121 countries and 58,000 Indian delegates. Japan and Canada were partner countries and there were various partner organisations, including the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce, US India Business Council, UK India Business Council & Australia India Business Council. As many as 17,719 investment intentions and 2,670 strategic partnerships were signed in diverse areas.

The 2011 summit saw investment commitment of Rs 20.83 lakh crore ($450 billion) far higher than the Rs 12.37 lakh crore proposed in the 2009 one.