Modi to inaugurate Vibrant Gujarat summit next month

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit next month and chair a round-table with CEOs of Fortune 500 companies from India and abroad besides taking part in a slew of other events during his two-day visit to the state.
The 8th edition of the investor summit, which was started by Modi when he was the chief minister of Gujarat, will be held from January 10 to 13 at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar.
Giving an overview of Modi's schedule, Additional Chief Secretary (Industries & Mines) P K Taneja today told reporters here that the PM will arrive here on January 9 for a two-day visit, during which he will inaugurate a slew of events, including the biennial summit.

"The Prime Minister will arrive here around afternoon on January 9. He will attend four events that day," he said, adding rest of the details of his visit are still being worked out.
Modi will perform the ground-breaking ceremony of Gandhinagar Railway Station Redevelopment project on the first day of his visit. On the same day, he will inaugurate global trade show to be held at Helipad Exhibition Ground in Gandhinagar, the senior bureaucrat said.
"The third event that the PM will attend is at Gujarat International Financial Tec-City (GIFT) where Bombay Stock Exchange's International Financial Service Centre will be inaugurated. Then, at Science City in Ahmedabad, he will inaugurate Nobel Laureate Exhibition," Taneja said.

The exhibition will continue for five weeks and 8-10 Nobel laureates are also likely to attend the event.

Taneja said on January 10, Modi will hold one-to-one meeting with heads and deputy heads of states who will attend the four-day summit, a premier event of the Gujarat Government that sees participation from foreign delegates and leaders.
On the same day he will inaugurate the investor meet. In the evening, Modi will chair a round table of global CEOs followed by a dinner programme, he added.
"After the dinner, PM Modi will most likely leave for Delhi," he said.
Around 50 CEOs representing Fortune 500 companies from India and abroad have been invited for the round-table, officials said.

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is also likely to attend a seminar on GST, which is expected to be a big draw, Chief Secretary J N Singh told the media.
Talking about ties with the US, Modi also referred to his
conversation with President-elect Donald Trump and said "we agreed to keep building on these gains in our strategic partnership."
He said instability, violence, conflict, extremism, exclusion and transnational threats continue to proliferate in dangerous directions.
"And, non-state actors are significant contributors to the spread of such challenges. Institutions and architectures built for a different world, by a different world, seem outdated. Posing a barrier to effective multilateralism," he said.

The Prime Minister said India's maritime interests are strategic and significant and that the primary responsibility for peace, prosperity and security in the Indian Ocean rests with those who live in the region.
"Ours is not an exclusive approach. And, we aim to bring countries together on the basis of respect for international law. We believe that respecting Freedom of Navigation and adhering to international norms is essential for peace and economic growth in the larger and inter-linked marine geography of the Indo-Pacific," he said without naming any country.
Delving on geo-political developments, he said the sharpest trajectory of change is happening in Asia but at the same time added that rising ambition and festering rivalries are generating visible stress points.

"The steady increase in military power, resources and wealth in the Asia-Pacific has raised the stakes for its security. Therefore, the security architecture in the region must be open, transparent, balanced and inclusive," he said.
Modi said his government has redefined, in a short span of time, and "despite uncertainty and conflict", partnerships with Gulf and West Asia, including Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar and Iran.
"We have not just focused on altering the angles of perception. We have also changed the reality of our ties. This has helped us protect and promote our security interests, nurture strong economic and energy ties and advance the material and social welfare of around 8 million Indians," he said.

The Prime Minister said India was pursuing its transformation in "unsettled times" and talked about sluggish growth and economic volatility.
"For multiple reasons and at multiple levels, the world is going through profound changes. Globally connected societies, digital opportunities, technology shifts, knowledge boom and innovation are leading the march of humanity.
"But, sluggish growth and economic volatility are also a sobering fact. Physical borders may be less relevant in this age of bits and bytes. But, walls within nations, a sentiment against trade and migration, and rising parochial and protectionist attitudes across the globe are also a stark statistic," he said.