'Infrastructure key to growth'

State-of-the-art infrastructure, including an integrated plan for the development of roads and rail services, telecommunications and uninterrupted power supply, is a prerequisite for growth and development in the state, according to Uttaranchal Governor Sudarshan Agarwal.

Delivering the inaugural address at the 5th CII Uttaranchal annual session, Agarwal urged corporate leaders to play a greater role towards society and develop strategies to reach out to the unprivileged.

He said in the present innovation-driven world, commitment to idealism combined with a passion for excellence was the key to sustainable development and growth and responsible and responsive governance both in the industry and government were the need of the hour.

Explaining the theme of the session "Driving Growth through Industry: Opportunities & Challenges", Ajay S Shriram, chairman, CII northern region, said the state had witnessed an explosive growth in terms of investment.

He said to manage this growth and to achieve the developmental objectives set out in the Tenth Five Year Plan (2004-14) for the state, it was imperative to create an enabling environment for the industry to thrive.