Dear Friends,
I hope the New Year has been treating you well! For the coming 3 days Gujarat is hosting the 6th Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit. It was back in 2003 that we organized the first of this biennial event and I am glad to say that the past five summits have been a resounding success and made a strong contribution to the development journey of Gujarat by attracting investments worth Rs. 820 billion. These summits have immensely contributed in making Gujarat a Global Business Hub and been instrumental in creating innumerable opportunities for our people.
For the next three days top-level diplomats, high-powered delegations from over 120 nations will converge at the iconic Mahatma Mandir and other places in Gujarat. From India we will have captains of industry, top companies and most of the Indian states participating. More than 125 different kinds of seminars, discussions, conferences and talks are a part of the Summit. Some of them have been held already and we look forward to the rest in the coming days.
This high level of participation by so many nations as well as states is no small thing. It is a manifestation of the fact that the world has taken note of the Gujarat model of development. And if there is someone who is worthy of congratulations it is you- the 6 crore people of Gujarat. It is your hard work and sweat that has made Gujarat synonymous with development not only in India but also across the world.
The 2013 Vibrant Gujarat Summit is unique because it has gone beyond the conventional considerations of hardcore financial investments. A key focus area for this summit is the knowledge sector. History has shown that whenever we have entered an era of knowledge, it is our great nation that has shown the way. The 21st century is the century of knowledge and if we want to take on the mantle of the leadership of the world, we will need to strengthen our knowledge creation and spreading mechanisms. That is why knowledge sector is a prime area of focus.Yesterday I was at the International Conference of Academic Institutions. Among all the events of the Summit, this one is most important for me. Under a single roof we had 135 universities & institutes from 56 nations and 60 universities & institutions from 14 states participating in the conference. Several MoUs were signed and I got an opportunity to interact with many of the sharpest minds that have made a mark for themselves in academics. I am certain that the universities of Gujarat will gain immensely from an event such as this.
Another area of focus of the 2013 Vibrant Gujarat Summit is Small and Medium Industries Sector. A few days back I was in Surat attending a gems and jewelry exhibition where I heard Government of India data that stated that growth of small industry in India stands at around 19% whereas in Gujarat the figure is 85%! The biennial Vibrant Gujarat Summits have contributed immensely in this. At the same time, this is a fitting answer to the handful anti-Gujarat elements that have time and again tried to cast misleading aspersions on the industrial development of Gujarat.
One of the most interesting facets of this year’s Summit is the Global Trade Show 2013. This is India’s biggest ever exhibition, spanning across over 1 lakh square meters and one that involves 1200 companies displaying over 25,000 products. A separate pavilion has been given to promote entrepreneurship among women. I strongly urge you all to visit the exhibition in the coming days.
I take this opportunity to welcome you all to Gujarat and assure you that you will not go back disappointed with the well-known Gujarati hospitality. I hope you will make maximum use of your time at the Summit- go visit the exhibitions, attend conferences and meet new people. I myself had a wonderful time meeting people through the various conferences, meets, discussions I have attended over the past few days.
This event coincides with the world famous Kite Flying festival and I invite you to be a part of this unique heritage of Gujarat and experience the colourful skies across the state!
A special thanks to the partner nations, Japan and Canada, our partner organizations and my deepest appreciation to the various departments of the Gujarat Government who have been working day and night to make this Summit a success.
Welcome to Vibrant Gujarat 2013!
Yours,
Narendra Modi
