Vibrant Gujarat Summit attracts Rs 251,000 cr investments

Ahmedabad, Jan 12 (UNI) The Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors Summit-2007 has attracted whopping investment proposals worth over Rs 251,000-crore, led by Reliance Industries Chief Mukesh Ambani announcing investment of Rs 67,000-crore, on the first day of the two-day event being held at the Science City here today.

''On the opening day, as many as 104 MoUs, worth Rs 251,967-crore with employment opportunities for over 650,000 people, have been signed,'' Gujarat industrial department principal secretary D Rajgopalan told mediapersons here this evening.

Mr Rajgopalan clarified that there were no investment proposals from foreign companies. But, he hastened to add that talks at different levels were being held with many foreign companies and entrepreneurs who have arrived here to participate in the summit.

Giving a statistical break-up, Mr Rajgopalan said as many as 26 MoUs were signed in Special Economic Zones with investment worth Rs 142,685-crore which are expected to generate employment for over 605,000 people.

Likewise, an equal number of 26 MoUs were signed in the Chemicals and Petroleum sector with investment of Rs 14,416-crore. These MoUs would provide employment to over 18,000 people.

The Power and Oil&Natrual Gas sectors have attracted eleven and ten MoUs with investments of Rs 55,139-cr (employment to 6560) and Rs 19,488-cr (employment to 15,200) respectively, he said, and added that the port sector has attracted investments worth Rs 10,474-cr through 19 MoUs that have been signed. They would provide job opportunities to over 10,000 people, he said. He said the projects would commence within two to three years.

In reply to a question, he said the SEZ projects would not adversely affect the farm land in the state nor would they cause environmental problems as most of these projects will be set up on the 1,600-km-long costal-line of Gujarat.

(Eds: Pick up suitably from earlier series) UNI