Kolkata:

Emphasising the similarities in the style of celebrations as well as language between West Bengal and his state, Gujarat Minister Harsh Sanghavi made a pitch for investment at a roadshow which was part of a Vibrant Gujarat event in Kolkata. 

“Just like we say kem cho, you say kemon acho (both mean “how are you”) when you meet someone familiar,” Mr Sanghavi said, leaving the audience in splits.

Addressing a gathering of industry representatives and investors, the Gujarat minister, who holds the Home and Industries portfolios, among others, said, “I have visited several parts of West Bengal and I have seen so many similarities between Gujarat and the state. Gujarat and Bengal can march ahead together.”

During the interactions, Mr Sanghavi shared insights into the success of the Vibrant Gujarat Summit and emphasised that Gujarat has become a role model for development and a preferred investment destination over the past two decades.

He also highlighted Gujarat’s cumulative FDI of $55 billion between 2002 and 2022, attributing the state’s attractiveness to its policy-driven approach, including initiatives like Gujarat Renewable Policy 2023, Atmanirbhar Gujarat Scheme 2022, Integrated Logistics and Logistics Park Policy 2021, Electric Vehicle Policy 2021, Tourism Policy, and Textile Policy.

Mr Sanghavi also spoke of Gujarat’s industrial development, specifically highlighting special investment zones such as Gift City, Dholera, and Mandal-Bechraji, as well as Petrochemicals Investment Zones, Dream City, Sanand Manufacturing Hub, Logistics Park, Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor, and Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail to stress that the state has world-class infrastructure.

Urging investment in Gujarat and encouraging active participation in the nation’s developmental journey, he also invited the audience to participate in the upcoming Vibrant Gujarat Summit.

Mr Sanghavi’s pre-scheduled visit comes close on the heels of Tata Motors’ announcement on Monday that the arbitration proceedings over the loss of its capital investment made in the Singur Tata Nano project had gone in its favour and it could now recover Rs 765.78 crore plus interest from the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation.

Tata Motors had decided to shift the project from Singur in West Bengal to Sanand in Gujarat, despite the factory being in an advanced stage of construction, after protests over land acquisition. The West Bengal government had won the case over the land for the project in the Supreme Court, which had termed the land acquisition for the project illegal.

In a veiled dig, Mr Sanghavi said, “I cannot tell you to take your business to Gujarat because, if I do that, you will face problems here. But consider setting up businesses in Gujarat. I can tell you that you will recover the value of every penny of investment in Gujarat.”