All Roads Lead To Vibrant Gujarat

March 8, 2019

The 9th edition of Vibrant Gujarat(VG)  was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the 18th of January. Amidst heavy police presence, road diversions and security – the 3-day event played host to the Prime Minister of Czech Republic Andrej Babis, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Prime Minister of Denmark Lars Løkke. For the first time, the government of Gujarat had organized buyer-seller and reserve buyer-seller meet as part of the trade show, where manufacturers, mainly from the MSME sector, displayed their products.

The highlights of VG 2019   included a bullet train simulator shipped specially from Japan, inauguration of India’s first private sector howitzer manufacturing unit in Hazira in Surat district and the promise of India getting its first flying car in 2021. Though the larger question is: how will this flying car negotiate with the polluted skies of India?

Around 1,500 overseas and domestic buyers are said to have visited the trade show, which aims to benefit MSMEs (micro, small & medium enterprises) from Gujarat. Sixteen pavilions had displayed products in as many categories.

Conceptualized in 2003, the Vibrant Gujarat Summit aims to re-establish Gujarat as a preferred investment destination within India. The biennial business meet, which came to a close on Sunday, made headlines when US and UK pulled out from being partner countries. The other pulling out that has taken place in this year’s Vibrant Gujarat are the pictures of the deputy chief minister Nitin Patel from the posters of the event.

While the capital city of Gandhinagar was dressed up like a bride, the roadblocks, diversions, and heavy traffic had irked the residents.