The inaugural day of Destination Uttarakhand: Investors Summit, held at the International Cricket Stadium in Dehradun today was attended by over 2,800 delegates from India and from around the globe. The maiden Summit on its 1st Day, held various sectorial sessions which focused on showcasing investment opportunities in the State and provided an opportunity for investors to interact with various stakeholders.
The Summit today, held special sessions by partner countries, which included country session on Japan and a country session on Czech Republic. There were also, various sessions on focus sectors including Manufacturing, Tourism and Hospitality, Infrastructure, Film Shooting & Entertainment and IT, ITeS & Biotech.
Sector session on IT, ITeS and Biotechnology saw participation from Mr. Ravi Shankar Prasad, Hon’ble Minister for Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, Government of India and Mr. Dhan Singh Rawat, Hon’ble Minister for Higher Education, Government of Uttarakhand among other senior government officials and business leaders. During this session, it was announced that 98% of people in Uttarakhand have already registered with Aadhar and services under E-governance have been increased to 50 from 30 service earlier.
Addressing the session, Mr. Ravi Shankar Prasad said, “Under the aegis of Digital India, our objective is to ensure digital connectivity for people across all hilly regions of Uttarakhand. Various initiatives have been taken to empower the state with digital services like Digital Delivery of Health Services and a Mini Cloud Data Center. Additionally, we plan to establish 500 BPOs in Dehradun and develop electronic clusters in Rudrapur and Udham Nagar.”
Speaking at the session on Infrastructure, Piyush Goyal, Hon’ble Minister of Railways, Coal and Corporate Affairs, Government of India said, “Uttarakhand is a beautiful state and at just 18, it is still very young. I like how this Government, has brought the focus of the world’s attention to the state. I must compliment the Government of Uttarakhand, on their first investment Summit, which has already attracted investment worth Rs. 75,000 crores, which is quite commendable for a small state.”
Addressing the Country Session on Czech Republic, H.E. Milan Hovorka, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to India, said, “Combining the skills of the Czech’s hydropower engineers with Uttarakhand’s resources can help realise the state’s power potential; collaboration can lead to partnerships.”
Addressing the Country Session on Japan, H.E. Kenji Hiramatsu, Ambassador of Japan to India, said, “Japan and Uttarakhand have a strong relationship; we have been financing forest resource management since 2014 and will continue to support environmental preservation in Uttarakhand.”
During the session on Tourism & Hospitality, Dr. B P Sharma, CMD, Pawan Hans Ltd., said, “The tourism sector has a great growth potential, backed by the fast-growing infrastructure in the state.” He further added, “We are planning to connect 11 stations, 11 cities by the end of 2018 and thus, contribute to the development of air connectivity in the state.”
Shri Prasoon Joshi, Chairperson, Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), addressed the session Film Shooting & Entertainment, where he said, “Uttarakhand is a land full of talent and has shaped some of the greatest artists that the industry has seen. The need today, is of greater collaboration between the State Government and the film industry, to come together to create ways to skill local talent to contribute to this sector.” He also added, “We must look at other aspects of cinema such as animation and special effects that have the potential to provide employment to many. This will ensure that the rich talent pool will not leave the state due to lack of opportunities.”
The two-day event will conclude on Monday, with more sectoral session and with an address by Hon’ble Home Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh.
About Destination Uttarakhand: Investors Summit 2018
The Government of Uttarakhand is organizing ‘Uttarakhand Investors Summit 2018’ on October 7-8 2018 in coordination with all departments related to the 12 focus sectors identified by the state. The Investment Promotion and Facilitation Centre in the Directorate of Industries is working as the secretariat for the event. It will be a mega event, gathering investors, manufacturers, producers, policymakers, and organizations from the global business ecosystem. The summit would principally focus on 12 focus sectors, which include Food Processing, Horticulture & Floriculture, Herbal & Aromatic, Tourism & Hospitality, Wellness & AYUSH, Pharmaceuticals, Automobiles, Natural Fibres, IT, Renewable Energy, Biotechnology and Film Shooting, for expediting industrial development in the state. It will provide opportunities for investment and trade in these sectors for both domestic and international investors.
For further information on the summit: www.destinationuttarakhand.in
