Patidar businessmen pledge to give jobs to 1 million youths by 2026

Some 10,000 businessmen from the Patidar community today pledged to provide jobs to one million youths from the community by 2026 on the opening day of the Global Patidar Business Summit here.

Gagjibhai Sutariya, president of Sardardham, a Patel outfit which has organised the three-day summit at the Mahatma Mandir here, made the announcement.

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel also attended the inaugural function.

The event comes at a time when Patidar organisations led by Hardik Patel and others have been agitating for reservations in jobs and education.

In his inaugural speech, Sutariya also announced that around one million Patel youths will be given a platform and financial support to start their own businesses.

"Under our 'Mission 2026', around 10,000 Patidar businessmen who have come here will take up the task of giving jobs to around 10 lakh Patel youths after providing them required training. This will also ease the burden on the state government," said Sutariya.

"It is also our aim to create 10 lakh new Patidar businessmen by 2026. To do that, we all need to come together and provide these youths a proper platform like this summit and also the required finance to start business," he said.

During the three-day summit, Patidar businessmen would take part in interactive sessions, B2B meetings and listen to some successful businessmen as well as management gurus, he said, adding that the event will be held every two years.

The key purpose of the summit was to provide a networking platform to the owners of small and medium enterprises, create new Patidar entrepreneurs and jobs for youths, he said.

Chief minister Rupani conceded that employment generation is government's job.

"Sardardham is doing what the state government is supposed to do. It is government's responsibility to create jobs. I am glad the community has taken up that responsibility. This initiative would surely motivate other communities to work in this direction," he said.

"Patidars and their contribution are at the core of Gujarat's development. This event will guide people to become job givers and not just job seekers, and the state government is always with you," Rupani said.

Nitin Patel urged affluent members of the community to come forward and help those left behind.

The Sardardham also signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with several Patidar organisations to start coaching centres for IAS-IPS aspirants from the community, industrial training centres and legal guidance centres, among others on this occasion.