Vibrant Gujarat delegation holds successful road show in Shanghai

Chinese Industry captains look towards Gujarat as the next Investment destination

Major Chinese companies keen to invest in infrastructure, heavy engineering, renewable energy and technical textiles sectors

Chinese companies looking for local partners in Gujarat

13 June 2012, Shanghai – A fifteen-member high-level delegation comprising government officials and business leaders from Gujarat, successfully concluded a two-day visit to Shanghai. The delegation which showcased huge investment opportunities in Gujarat witnessed a very strong participation in its road show held at Shanghai from Chinese investors and companies looking towards India, underlining the growing ties between two of the world's fastest growing economies. As one of India's most investor friendly state with huge thrust on Infrastructure, Gujarat talked of upcoming large projects and big-ticket investment opportunities including Dholera Special Investment Region (D-SIR) along the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor as well as India's first multi services Special Economic Zone focussing on financial services - Gujarat International Finance Tech (GIFT) City.

The delegation led by Mr. Bharat Lal, Principal Resident Commissioner, Government of Gujarat also held business interactions with Shanghai-based large corporate groups with interest in infrastructure, technology, construction, renewable energy, heavy engineering, waste management, financial services, technical textiles, heavy engineering and machinery, among others. The delegation along with Confederation of Indian Industry representatives (CII) also met members of China Council for Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), the Government agency responsible for promotion of investment and business, to promote partnership between China and Gujarat.    

In the changing economic scenario, Gujarat with its excellent infrastructure and connectivity provides a great alternative to Chinese companies looking at reducing cost with an easy access to Gulf and European markets.

This visit ahead of the much awaited Vibrant Gujarat Summit in January 2013 comes in the wake of rapidly growing business and cultural ties between China and Gujarat which got a major spur when Hon’ble Chief Minister of Gujarat Mr. Narendra Modi led a high-level delegation to People’s Republic of China in November, 2011 on the invitation of CPC leaders. Mr. Modi's visits to Beijing, Shanghai and Sichuan and meetings with China's political leaders had sparked off a huge interest among business and industry leaders to invest and collaborate with Gujarat in several fields.  

The State of Gujarat has recently seen huge investments from large Chinese based companies. While TBEA, China's major power equipment maker has signed an MoU for a $400 million Green energy park in Gujarat, BTW has collaborated with Anand based Atlanta electrical for manufacturing of transformers. The state which is one of India's most favoured destination for domestic & foreign investors has been taking rapid strides in planning its industrial infrastructure and policies, creating a very conducive business and regulatory environment for industrial growth. The State is pioneer in implementing the Special Investment Regions Act and has delineated 12 SIR’s spread over 3,360 sq km, with Dholera SIR, Petrochemicals focussed SIR at Dahej being on the fast track. Its 55 SEZs, contribute 47% to India's SEZ exports. The State now aspires to capitalize on its inherent financial and business acumen to emerge as the next financial service capital of India through its GIFT city. Incidentally, GIFT is also being modelled upon Shanghai's financial centre at Pudong. With China’s strong foothold in these sectors, the delegation’s meetings provided an excellent opportunity for building partnerships.

During the road show, Gujarat Venture Finance Ltd (GVFL), a premiere private equity investor based in Gujarat with interests in renewable energy, waste management and urban infrastructure also presented the huge scope in these sectors in the State and invited investor interest for its Golden Gujarat Growth fund.

While addressing the august gathering of leading industries and investors, Ms. Riva Ganguly Das, Counsel General of India Shanghai highlighted opportunities offered by Gujarat which is a leading investment destination in India. Prof Sun Yang, Vice Chairman and Executive Director, Association of Watch World (AWW) urged Chinese investors to participate in the Vibrant Gujarat Summit 2013 in a big way.

The delegation explored the possibility and held discussions for a collaboration in engineering design and industrial planning, as Shanghai is recognized the world over for its rapid progress in large infrastructure like urban transportation, skyscrapers, landscape design, riverfront, industrial complexes, waste water treatment, pollution control, etc.

On behalf of Government of Gujarat, Mr. Bharat Lal invited Shanghai-based business leaders, investors, corporations, academicians and technologists to participate in the upcoming Vibrant Gujarat Summit, January 11–13, 2013, to be held at Gandhinagar. The Vibrant Gujarat 2013 is planned as a mega event with over 100 knowledge events in various sectors, several of which are ongoing. The main exhibition will be spread over 1 lakh square metre of exhibition space and will provide a platform to all leading industries to showcase and explore expansion of their operations.    

From Shanghai, the delegation will move to Beijing where it has been invited to participate in China's biggest outbound investment event - The China Global Outbound Investment Summit being held on 14-15th June. The summit being organized by China enterprise forum with support from Ministry of Commerce is a platform for China's leading investors looking for opportunities abroad. In China, Gujarat is acknowledged as a major investment destination. At Beijing, the delegation will also hold a road show organized by the embassy of India wherein identified industries and investors have been invited. The delegation is also holding business interactions in Beijing with key industries.