PM gives clarion call to World Inc to bring capital to Gujarat

Ahmedabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday inaugurated a global trade show in Gandhinagar, organised as part of the ninth edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2019.

After inaugurating the trade show, Modi visited a few pavilions and saw some of the products kept on display.

The Vibrant Gujarat Global Trade Show is being held on around two lakh sq mt area of an exhibition ground in the state capital. Around 25 industrial and business sectors are showcasing their products at the event.

The trade show will continue till January 22 and will be open for general public on the last two days (January 21 and 22).

For the first time, the government has organised buyer-seller and reserve buyer-seller meet as part of the trade show, where manufacturers, mainly from the MSME sector, are displaying their products.

Around 1,500 overseas and domestic buyers are expected to visit the trade show, which aims to benefit MSMEs (micro, small & medium enterprises) from Gujarat. Sixteen pavilions are displaying products in as many categories.

For the first time, there is a separate pavilion showcasing products from the African countries. On Friday, the Prime Minister will inaugurate the 9th edition of Vibrant Gujarat Summit in Gandhinagar.

No delegation from Pakistan would be attending the event, which was initiated in 2003 by Narendra Modi when he was the Gujarat Chief Minister.

Meanwhile, the Netherlands said Thursday it is signing 10 MoUs at the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit with focus on sectors like smart city and waste management, healthcare and agricultural cooperation.

The European country is being represented by a delegation, which has more than 100 members, at the three-day business conclave being held at Gandhinagar.

The delegation, led by Netherlands' Minister of Finance for Taxation and Customs, Menno Snel, consists of representatives from 45 companies, three trade associations and government agencies. "We met Chief Minister Mr (Vijay) Rupani...We have 45 companies, out of which 10 are signing MoUs. Our delegations have been growing.

Lots of MoUs are on strategic cooperation," Snel told reporters here Thursday.

Out of 10 MoUs, five were signed Thursday and the rest will be inked during the summit, he said.

The MoUs deal with mobility management, waste-to- energy conversion, delivery system in diagnostics, saline farming, and protected cultivation of horticultural crops.

A Dutch company, Pal-V, which makes flying cars, is also participating in the summit.

Pal-V plans to deliver its first vehicles, which will have seating capacity for two persons, to customers in Europe by 2019 or early 2020.

"We think India has a good opportunity for our client base...we are planning discussions about some regulations for India as well as governmental use.

"We are also looking to develop in the Indian market," said the company's CEO, Robert Dingemanse.

"We are having discussions at governmental and private sector-level for cooperation to develop markets and investigate possibilities to supply parts (from here) to our company," he said.

As part of the Smart City project, the Vadodara Municipal Corporation will sign an MoU with Dutch company ARS T and TT with an aim to explore potential collaboration based on technical expertise and vast experience of the company in traffic and transport area.

Netherlands' AWECT will sign an MoU with the VMC to set up a high-efficient waste and energy plant in Vadodara.

Dutch company Philips will sign an MoU with the state government in healthcare delivery system with the company willing to set up a radiology and cardiology centres in every district for Gujarat.