Prioritise Make in India, Skill India programmes: Rupani

Jaipur, Nov 28: The Centre's Make in India and Skill India programmes should be prioritised to ensure all-round development of the country, Gujarat Transport and Water Supply Minister Vijay Kumar Rupani said on Friday.

He was speaking here today at an industry event promoting the "Vibrant Gujarat:2015" summit scheduled to held at Gandhinagar from January 11-13, 2015. "Since the BJP government is at the Centre, now the industrial environment is very conducive for investors in Gujarat too, and there would be a quick decisions on investment proposals which were pending for ten years at the Centre level", Rupani told businessmen attached with CII from Rajasthan.

"Business environment has changed now in last six months of Modi government...fast decisions, new investment policies. PM's foreign tours to US, Australia, Nepal and Bhutan has attracted world's attention...In Asia, world market is looking at India and China with a great hope", Rupani said.

There is a need to prioritise Make in India, and Skill India programmes to ensure country's all-round growth including Gujarat, he said. In absence of favourable atmosphere and poor response during previous UPA government, investors had taken U-turn and even went to other countries for investment, he claimed.

Gujarat would be one of the places to provide the maximum number of skilled workers to the companies, Rupani said. Highlighting Gujarat's agriculture growth at 11 per cent, general growth at 8 per cent, and export share at 25 per cent, the Minister said Vibrant Gujarat summit would be a deciding factor in India's growth and development in industrial sectors.

"It does not matter how much amount money companies are going to spend in Gujarat, or what was the previous investment figures", he said, adding that the important factor was eight partner countries, including US, and Indian states would take part again.

Speaking on the occasion J P Gupta, IAS, Secretary and Commissioner (Health) in Gujarat said, Kutch is now the best investment destination despite it having met with catastrophic earthquake in 2001.

There has been an investment of Rs 1 lakh crore alone in Kutch since 2003, Gupta added. The session was followed by an interaction between Rajasthan's industrialists and Gujarat government officials in presence of Rupani.

PTI