Vibrant Guj 2013: Corporate honchos praise Modi's leadership

Gandhinagar (Gujarat), Jan 11: At Vibrant Gujarat Summit 2013, which was inaugurated on Friday, Jan 11 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, corporate leaders came together to praise Chief Minister Narendra Modi. They heaped praises on Modi and his leadership, which helped Gujarat to attain large-scale industrialisation.

Mukesh Ambani, the chairman of Reliance Industries, said, "In Narendra Bhai, we have a leader with a grand vision...Gujarat has been a pioneer state in infrastructure giving it an innate advantage. We began from Gujarat and we come back here again and again to invest."

The senior Ambani announced Rs 500-crore university that will be set up in collaboration with the Gujarat government.

His younger brother Anil was also present in the Summit. Anil compared Modi with Mahatma Gandhi.

"Modi is continuing in Gujarat the traditions established by leaders like Mahatma Gandhi," Anil said.

"Let me attempt to paint another picture: 2nd October, 1869, Porbandar, Gujarat - the birth of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the father of the nation; 31st October, 1875, Nariyal, Gujarat - the birth of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, India's man of steel; 28th December, 1932, Chorwad, Gujarat - the birth of Dhirubhai Ambani, India's greatest entrepreneur; and 17th September, 1950, Vadnagar, Gujarat - the birth of Narendra Modi," Anil added.

"Under Modi's regime, there has been a significant improvement in infrastructure growth, industrialisation as well as agriculture," said Jahangir Aziz, senior Asia economist at JP Morgan.

Initiated by Modi in 2003 to attract investment after the violence and an earthquake in 2001, the event is attended by thousands of corporate officials who pledge billions in investment, although in reality, only a fraction has seen the light of day. Of 12,40,000 crore rupees in investment proposed at the 2009 event, just 8.5 per cent had been spent as of Nov 2011, according to state government data.

Among those present on the dais with Modi were: Pankaj Patel (Cadila Healthcare), Ajit Gulabchand (Hindustan Construction Company), Chanda Kochar (ICICI Bank), Baba Kalyani (Bharat Forge), Tulsi Tanti (Suzlon), Nimesh Kampani (JM Financial group), Gautam Adani (Adani group), Piruz Khambatta (Rasna), Ratan Tata (former chairman of Tata Sons), Uday Kotak (Kotak Bank), Anand Mahindra (Mahindra and Mahindra) and Adi Godrej (Godrej group).

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