20 years of Vibrant Gujarat: Industrialists hail Modi for ‘farsightedness’, emergence as ‘global consensus builder’

Mittal, one of the two industrialists who shared the dais with Modi at the event held at Science City, also referred to the memorandums of understanding the company signed with Gujarat government for the ArcelorMittal Nippon steel project at Hazira near Surat.

B K Goenka, chairman of Welspun Group who sat alongside Mittal on the stage, said, “When we look back 20 years when Vibrant Gujarat was conceived, nobody thought it will convert to such a large scale event… Today, Vibrant Gujarat has become like a World Economic Forum and global CEOs look forward to attend this. This is what foresightedness can do.”

“As a participant in the first event to this one, I have seen how this event has increased investments in Gujarat, leading to unparalleled growth and improvement in the socio economic standards,” he added.

Goenka said he was the first to expand his business from Vapi to the earthquake-hit Kutch after Modi, as the chief minister of Gujarat, nudged him to invest in Kutch during the 2003 Vibrant Summit.

“Modiji told me, if I invest Re 1 in Kutch, I will get USD 1 dollar in return. We were the first ones to start production within nine months… Water needed for the industrial project was given from Narmada… Today, Kutch which was once a deserted area, has become a paradise for investments. In next five to seven years, Kutch will become the capital for green hydrogen,” he added.

Zydus Cadila chairman Pankaj Patel, Hester Biosciences CEO and MD Rajiv Gandhi as well as Parimal Nathwani from Reliance Industries also attended the event.

Speaking at the event, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said that Vibrant Gujarat summit helped development percolate to every section of the society. “Narendrabhai’s dream of projecting Gujarat on a global map for job creation, industrial development and investment has become 100 per cent successful. We are celebrating it as a ‘Summit of Success’. This is not just a name, but a synonym for the all-round development of the state. Along with economic growth, Vibrant Gujarat has helped vikas (development) percolate to every section and segment of the society.”

“The increase in infrastructure facilities has reached even those at the bottom of the pyramid. It (the summit) has also provided youths with global opportunities and platform. Vibrant Gujarat has set new benchmark for Gujarat’s progress,” he added.

Patel pointed out that many Fortune 500 companies have commenced operations in Gujarat and this success could be credited to Vibrant Gujarat.

“Gujarat has become country’s growth engine and number one state in getting FDI (foreign direct investment). In the last four years, Gujarat has been heading the industrial growth of the country,” he said, even as Union government’s figures ranked Gujarat fourth — behind Maharashtra, Karnataka and Delhi — in attracting FDI in 2022-23.

A film shown at the venue stated, “Look back and marvel where we started and where we are today. Factories doubled, cargo capacity quadrupled, universities multiplied five fold, MSMEs rose six-fold, per capita income 13-fold, state GDP 16-fold and cumulative FDI at USD 55 billion.”