Scheduled for just a few months before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, which are likely to be held in April-May
With less than a year to go, the state government has started the work for the ninth edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Summit (VGS), which will take place in Gandhinagar in January 2019. The Summit was first held in 2003, when Narendra Modi was the chief minister.
Scheduled for just a few months before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, which are likely to be held in April-May, the state government would want to leave no stone unturned to ensure that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pet event is a grand success.
"We have started the preparations. The first meeting for the Vibrant Gujarat Summit 2019 was held last week," state's industries secretary MK Das, who chaired the meeting, told DNA.
Das, who is also principal secretary to Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, said each edition of the VGS has been bigger and better than the previous one.
"We will ensure that this is also the case with the Summit in 2019," Das said further.
The meeting, attended by industries department officials, discussed the format of the Summit, potential theme, among others, said an insider
"It was a brainstorming session to see how the Summit can be different from the earlier editions, what we can do to make it more effective, and how Gujarat can derive the maximum benefit out of it," said a senior official, requesting anonymity.
The official said that discussions about overarching theme of the Summit, the focus sectors, seminars and events, as well as other aspects would come up for discussion over the next few months.
Over the past decade-and-a-half, the biennial Vibrant Gujarat Summit has emerged as one of the biggest business events in the country, attracting heads of state, who's who of trade & industry from India and across the world, and policymakers.
It has also grown in size in every parameter, be it participation, number and size of MoUs, and partner countries, just to name a few.
The first Summit in 2003 was held at a time when Gujarat was seeking to recover from the 2002 riots, and was desperate to regain its image as an industry-friendly state. And it worked. Not only did the Summit help the state emerge as one of the most sought after investment destinations, it also helped shape Modi's image as a pro-development leader and an able administrator, a key factor in his 2014 win.
At the same time, there are also question marks over the efficacy of the biennial event in attracting investments.
Every Summit, especially since 2009, has seen massive investment announcements. While the government claims that 60-65% of MoUs have translated into investment, more realistic estimates peg the figure at 15-20% in terms of proposed and actual investment.
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Das, who is also principal secretary to Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, said each edition of the VGS has been bigger and better than the previous one.
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