Author: Harit Mehta & Ashish Amin
Publication: Business Standard
Date: March 2, 2008
URL: http://www.business-standard.com/common/news_article.php?tab=r&autono=315488&subLeft=2&leftnm=4
At a time when the world is looking at India
as a market, this man envisages a scenario where Gujarat turns the whole world
into a market for whatever it manufactures. Meet Gujarat's third-time Chief
Minister Narendra Modi in a freewheeling interview with Harit Mehta and Ashish
Amin
Q.: Having silenced your critics in the recently-concluded
elections, what is the agenda of your government for the coming five years?
A.: In the previous term, we have been somewhat successful in taking brand
Gujarat to the international stage. As a result, foreign investors are looking
at Gujarat in a positive manner. We have given top priority to creating infrastructure
to cope with the heavy investment inflow.
Investors have thronged the state because
of state government's industry-friendly policies. We have also focused on
key infrastructure issues such as port inter-linking and port-based SEZs.
Q.: The Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC)
seems to be the new buzzword in the state government? How do you think the
project will help Gujarat?
A.: Around 40 per cent of the DMIC project falls in Gujarat. We have prepared
a blueprint on how the state can make the most out of the project. Two years
ago, we started work on three 'Pragati Paths', planned on the lines of the
Ahmedabad-Vapi golden corridor. The idea was to have as many golden corridors
as possible. To our good luck, all three Pragati Paths we identified fall
along the DMIC. While planning the Pragati Paths two years back, we had not
anticipated DMIC in its present form, but we are lucky that the synergies
and geographic proximity of both projects will do wonders to the economy of
the state.
We have planned logistics parks and special
investment regions in the vicinity of the project. Dholera will be the first
special investment region. Also, the projects and investment coming under
DMIC will benefit because of the port infrastructure of the state.
Q.: Recently, a delegation from Japan had
come to Gujarat? Was the trip fruitful?
A.: We have been interacting with Japan's trade and industry, apart from the
Japanese government, for sometime now. Members of the delegation showed interest
in investing in Gujarat, provided a separate zone was created for them in
the state. The government is considering the proposal and will take a final
decision on it soon. We can even earmark one of the 12 logistics parks being
planned along the DMIC for Japanese companies.
Q.: Gujarat is attracting investments. But
how prepared is the state in terms of providing skilled manpower to cope with
the investment inflow?
A.: We have taken the issue very seriously and have prepared a blueprint.
But we have equally focused on the knowledge economy - IT, biotech and nanotechnology.
Our endeavour is to provide an atmosphere where adequate research in these
fields is done. Gujarat International Finance Tec City (GIFT) will remain
at the centre stage of not just the state's, but also the country's development.
GIFT is a classic case of knowledge economy.
Initiatives like Knowledge Corporation too
will help the state's cause. The government has already been instrumental
in introducing several syllabi in colleges and universities across the state.
Petroleum University is a part of all this.
We believe that around 4 million people will
get direct or indirect employment over the next five years in Gujarat.
Q.: The perception is that your government
is an urban-centric government. Do you agree?
A.: Absolutely not. The focus of our government has always been that jobs
go to people so that people don't have to reach out to jobs. The idea is to
create an atmosphere where there are enough jobs in village and villagers
do not have to come to cities in search of jobs.
Thanks to Jyotigram, villagers have three-phase,
24-hour electricity which has given a fillip to cottage industries. Students
can also study during the nights.
GSWAN (Gujarat State Wide Area Network) has
connected villages to Sachivalaya (state secretariat).
We are also in the process of creating infrastructure
for agri-businesses. In this age of liberalisation, our endeavour will be
to make the whole world a marketplace for whatever Gujarat manufactures. We
will market brand Gujarat very aggressively.
Q.: Are you satisfied with the Vibrant Gujarat
summits? Are investments actually coming?
A.: Yes, I am satisfied with the effort, or else we would not have continued.
The conversion rate (projects becoming a reality) as far as MoUs are concerned
is very satisfying. It is around 80 per cent, which is considered to be very
good. We are already planning the next summit, which will be organised in
2009.
Apart from the investments, the bonus is the
way the attitude of government officials has changed.
Q.: Gujarat has done well in terms of attracting
domestic investments. But the state still lags behind when it comes to FDI.
Do you agree?
A.: This has to be seen in proper perspective. FDI flow largely depends on
the policies of the Centre. I believe the present government has not done
enough in the past three-four years to attract FDI aggressively.
Q.: What is your government's stand on the
recent move to give all Panna-Mukta-Tapti (PMT) rights to GAIL?
A.: The Centre's attitude has been very negative on various state government
initiatives. The PMT issue has affected a lot of industries in the state.
MPs from Gujarat are likely to take up the issue in Parliament. The state's
Gas Act is yet to get the Centre's nod. We will protest against the decision
in a democratic manner.
