Gujarat Government plans on investment opportunities for private business in Agricultural sector

15thJuly 2013 – 15thSeptember 2013

Inside this issue
Gujarat Updates : Government Plans/ Initiatives
Gujarat Updates : Private sector Investments
Focal Point
Events Calendar
Explore Gujarat
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Fact File
•Government of Gujarat has decided to setup “Gujarat Agricultural Commission” for undertaking detailed and scientific analyses and for developing long term comprehensive policies for Agriculture sector
•In the financial budget of 2013-14, Government of Gujarat has planned to cover additional 300,000 hectare agricultural land under irrigation to benefit 2030 villages of 14 districts during the year
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Contact Us

From The Desk
ShriRaj Kumar, IAS
Principal Secretary,
Agriculture & Co-operation Department,
Government of Gujarat, Gandhinagar
Gujarat is usually looked at as one of the most urbanized and industrialized states of the nation, contributing over 15 per cent to the nation’s manufacturing output. Given that more than 50%state population’slivelihood depends on agriculture sector,the statehas been consciously adopting and implementing policies for acceleratingagricultural productionandenhancing productivity.
I am glad to be a part of this edition of the newsletter which focuses on the growth storyof agriculture in Gujarat andon the way the sectoralgrowth rate of 10 percent during the last decade has attracted attention of policy makers and investors.
We haveinitiated novel approacheswith an aim tomovefrom traditional farming to value addition and areprogressively moving towards hi –tech agriculture, food agro processing, dairy and other high yieldingagriculture–business activities. The state has created a conducive environment by investing in infrastructure, rural development, electricity and agriculture extension. Along with,the state hasalso promotedthe growth of cooperatives and private players for thebenefitof farmers
Recently, Global Agriculture Summit –2013 wasorganisedwith the objective of facilitating the realization of latent potential of Indian agriculture by promoting investments and identifyingmarkets for sustainable development of agriculture sector. The event focused on agriculture marketing, food & nutritional security, R&D, extension in agriculture, farm mechanization, bio-technology in agriculture, livestock dairy development, agricultural credit & risk management etc., and primarily on enablingfarmersto learn and make use of latestfarm technology as well as progressive practices employed in other countries.
Further details on the policies adopted in the agricultural sector and support provided by the Government of Gujarat are covered at length in this edition of newsletter.
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Tourism on Boom in GujaratJuly 14, 2013Chief Minister of Gujarat approved the new Investment of INR 1200 crore on development of tourism-related infrastructure by Gujarat Government and furthermore, the promotional campaign ‘Khushboo Gujarat Ki’ have made inroads into elevating Gujarat to a status of important tourist destination. Gujarat boasts a strong connectivity as evidenced by its 18,000 villages with internet coverage. Gujarat Government has also started round the clock helpline for tourists.
Gujarat Government approves new wind energy policy
July 14, 2013
Gujarat Updates: Government Plans/ Initiatives
As a result, number of tourists visiting Gujarat has gone up by 5.4 million in the last two years and the number of hotel rooms has also increased from 45,000 to 64,000 in the same period. Additionally, Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Limited is promoting film tourism in a big way.
In a recent survey done by the Trip Advisor, Ahmedabad was found to be the most pocket friendly city for travelers. According to index used in the survey, an evening stay in Ahmedabad for two people in a four star hotels costs INR 6406, around INR 3709 cheaper than similar stay in ‘City of Joy’ Kolkata.
Gujarat government recently announced a new wind energy policy focusing on fixing new procurement tariff and exempting wind energy from electricity duty. As per the new policy, the procurement price for wind power has The government has also proposed exemption from electricity duty to wind power producers in order to promote green energy.
The policy further proposes authorization to power producers for using the wind power for captive consumption in their own units in the state. Moreover, if the power is to be used for captive consumption in more than one unit of the wind power producers, they will have to pay INR 0.05 per unit more, besides the wheeling and transmission charges. To set up wind power generating units, the government has planned to allot wasteland in the interior regions of the state under the new policy.
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AhmedabadMetrotobeabroadgauge, driverlessproject
July26,2013
The Ahmedabad metro rail is slated to be a driverless and broad gauge project, resulting in savings of INR 1000 crore in capital expenditure and INR 20 crore annually in operational expenditure. Core infrastructure works will begin in fourth quarter of year 2013 and Phase I is scheduled to be completed by August, 2017. The entire project including Phase II will be fully operational in March 2021.
MEGA metro rail project will see the adoption of latest technology, cutting edge civil infrastructure, and futuristic control mechanism. It will be India's first driverless metro system, resulting in low operational & maintenance cost and increased frequency &safety.
SSNNL to set up 10 MW Solar Power Generation PlantAugust 1, 2013Excited with success of existing wind power plants, the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has taken a decision to erect one more wind power plant. A proposal to finalize consultant for this project has been moved in Standing Committee of SMC. SMC had erected 3 MW capacity wind power plant at Vadodara in Porbandar district in year 2010 for its Sarthana and Varachha water works.
As of now, GHB has started constructing 2,132 flats in Surat, Rajkot and Vadodara which are likely to be completed in a year and half.
Through this plant, SMC has earned benefit of 2.03 crore power units or Rs. 7.93 crore in its electricity bill in 31 months. Encouraged by success of this plant, SMC had then erected 8.4 MW capacity wind power plant for Katargam water works. The project is near completion.
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GHBtobuild40,000affordablehouseseveryyearforLowandMiddleIncomegroups
August2,2013
Gujarat Housing Board (GHB) is building 13- storey complexes for low income groups (LIG) and medium income groups (MIG), with the cost of allotment ranging from INR 9 lakhs to 19.75 lakhs and construction area ranging from 681 sq ft to 971 sq ft, per flat.
GHB Chairman Jayanti Barot echoed the mission of the project: "To provide affordable housing to the poor, low and medium income group people, Gujarat Housing Board has started building houses and our goal is to build 25,000 to 40,000 houses every year,"

Ahmedabadairportranksfirstincustomersatisfaction
August15,2013
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport(SVPIA) ranks first in terms of customer satisfaction, as per a survey conducted by Airport Council International. The survey covered the airports at Chennai, Kolkata, Jaipur, Goa, Ahmedabad, Pune, Lucknow, Srinagar, Calicut, Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram.
(ACI, an international body of confederation of airports, carries out the survey independently and gives indices of satisfaction based on the responses provided by the passengers travelling through the airport.). The newly-introduced `Fly Tagged' facility at the airport provides better medical assistance and care for senior citizens, corporate assistance and other needs.
GujaratMaritimeBoardexplorespartnersfor4thLNGterminalinstate
August16,2013
After successful implementation of 2 LNG terminals and work underway for the third one, the State government has initiated steps to set up fourth LNG terminal at Jafrabad in Amreli district.
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The project will cost around INR 4150 crore and has a total combined capacity of 10 million tonnes per annum (MMTPA), which will be built through Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode based on Build, Own, Operate and Transfer (BOOT) policy. The land requirement for the project is 87 acres out of which 74 acres are government land.
GujaratGovernmentformscouncilforAjiriverfrontproject
August17,2013
Along the lines of Sabarmati riverfront project, Gujarat government has formed a special governing council headed by Energy Minister Shri Saurabh Patel for Aji riverfront project in Rajkot. The Rajkot Municipal Corporation is developing the riverfront at the cost of about INR 200 crore.
The state government has approved this project and agreed to provide 100% project cost under Swarnim Yojana. The project is divided in two phases and it will be completed in next 5 years.

More space for urban poor in new town planning schemesAugust 23, 2013Urban planners have envisaged that five per cent of the area under new town planning (TP) schemes will be reserved for providing housing to the urban poor. In addition to this, the roads connecting various parts of Surat to the proposed Outer Ring Road will be at least 60 feet or 18 meters wide.
IntracityrailnetworkplannedinGujarat’sSpecialInvestmentRegion
August23,2013
The Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (DMICDC) plans to build an intra city rail network in the Dholera Special Investment Region. The project cost is estimated to be around USD 500 million.
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The Dholera region, spread over 900 square kilometers, is being developed as a new Greenfield industrial hub in Gujarat. DMICDC is the lead developer of the Dholera which is being developed as a city of the future with an integrated infrastructure aimed at attracting investments and enhancing productivity. The DMICDC project is partly funded by Japan Government. The DMICDC has already acquired 100 sq. km. of land under first phase and construction of city is expected to start from December.
Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation to set up industrial estates in Mandal -Becharaji area
August 25, 2013
Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) has established 182 industrial estates, ranging from mini to mega sizes for inclusive growth of the state. It has also developed 7 Special Economic Zones to support the industrial sector of the state. GIDC is further planning to set up three industrial estates in Mandal - Becharaji area. For this, GIDC plans to acquire around 1000 hectares of land in Mandal and Detroj taluka.
Auto engineering and ancillary industry from Japan are expected to set up their units in the proposed estates. Along with that, semiconductor manufacturers have shown their interest in setting up their units..

AhmedabadMunicipalCorporation(AMC)tousecamera-basedsystemfortrafficmanagement
September7,2013
The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has decided to use a camera-based 'intelligent traffic management system' to solve the problem of traffic congestion. Live feeds from cameras installed at every road junction will be analyzed by software which will count the number of vehicles held up at the junction. The software will be installed on computers in the control room.
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The new system will initially be installed at 66 junctions and will be extended to other crossroads along the BRTS corridor.
NTC to set up centre of excellence for technical textiles in Gujarat
September 9, 2013
National Textile Corporation (NTC), after successfully modernizing its 24-odd textile mills, is currently planning to strengthen its technical textilesand textile retail operations. As a part of this initiative, the public sector enterprise (PSE) is on its way to set up a centre of excellence (CoE) on technical textiles in Gujarat.
Both NTC and the Gujarat government will invest around Rs 20 crore each for the project. The CoE will conduct research on its own in varied aspects of technical textiles including geo-tech, medi-tech and mobi-tech, among others. Moreover, the CoE will also assist other textile companies in implementation of technical textile projects across the country.

Gujarat Updates: Private Sector Investments
SintexIndustriestoforayintocommercialyarnbiz
July18,2013
Kalol based Sintex Industries Ltd is mulling over a 320,000 spindle project at a cost of INR 1,700 crore with the intention of setting up a commercial spinning unit that will manufacture export orientedcotton yarn. Once set up, the project is likely to be ramped up to one million spindles in five years time horizon. The company will set up the project under its textile division in the state of Gujarat under TUFS Schemeof the Central Government and Gujarat Textile Policy, 2012.
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Schneider Electric is providing EPC services and the output of the plant is estimated to be 18.96 million kWh per year, enough to power approximately 29,900 Indian homes, with GUVNL as the off taker.
Virtuous Retail to invest in Gujarat retail space
July 21, 2013
Virtuous Retail (VR), India's first institutionally owned developer-operator, sponsored by the Xander Group Inc, has indicated its intention to invest USD 160 million in Gujarat in the retail space; including investment in areas of Ahmedabad and Vadodara, which have a substantial propensity to spend and hence making them conducive for retail investment.
The company, which sees huge potential in the Western region, is actively looking at new Greenfields development and exploring acquisitions of existing developments in key cities such as Ahmedabad.
Amit Patel, group managing director of Sintex Industries remarked, "The said project will have benefits from Gujarat Textile Policy 2012 in addition to any other incentives available from other scheme of the Government of India". Astonfield setting up 250 MW solar plantJuly 18, 2013Astonfield Renewable Resources Ltd is looking at developing 250 MW solar plants over the next two years with an investment of at least INR 2000 crore. Under this plan, the company is setting up 11.5 MW plant extended over 90 acres in Patan, Gujarat.

AfconsInfrastructuretosetupnewfabricationfacilityinGujarat
July22,2013
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Videocon Mobile to enhance presence in Gujarat via huge investment
July 24, 2013
Videocon Mobile Services is all set to invest around INR 800 crore for the fiscal 2013-14 in Gujarat circle to strengthen its presence in the state significantly. The company has recently added 1291 new cell sites in Gujarat, taking the total coverage in the state to 4096 cell sites and plans to add another 500-550 new cell sites till March 2014.
Apart from cell sites, the company is also looking forward to enhance its presence in the state through dedicated Videocon Connect stores. According to the company, it is gaining new customer through mobile number portability (MNP) and strong GPRS offering. Additionally, Videocon Mobile Services also plans to add 250,000 -300,000 new users by September 2013 to its current subscriber base of 800,000s.
Claris transfers infusion biz to Japanese firms
August 1, 2013
Claris Lifesciences Ltd has completed the transfer of its infusion business for India and emerging markets to its Joint Venture with two Japanese companies.
Claris has a JV with Otsuka Pharmaceutical Factory, Inc (OPF) and Mitsui & Co. Ltd. In this JV in which Otsuka has a 60% share while Claris and Mitsui have 20% each. The infusion business includes common solutions, anti-infective, plasma volume expanders and parenteral nutrition therapies.
Afcons Infrastructure, a Shapoorji Pallonji Group company, is setting up approximately INR 250 crore fabrication yards on an area of 120 hectares in Mahua, Gujarat, for oil and gas platforms.
The company intends to build offshore jackets and the top side for well and process platforms at the new facility. ONGC plans to place orders worth approximately INR 60,000 crores over the next five years pertaining to offshore and onshore platforms, of which Afcons Infrastructure intends to grab a sizeable portion.

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Zydus to invest INR 100 crore in Vadodara unit, expand hospital business
August 19, 2013
Zydus Cadila will set up an injectible facility at Vadodara with an investment of INR 100 crore by 2015. The Ahmedabad-based company also plans to expand its hospital business across Gujarat in the next three years.
The new facility would be commenced by 2015 and is meant only for therapeutic segments other than oncology. Zydus Cadila already has a joint venture with US-based Hospira for manufacturing anti-oncology injectibles at Matoda SEZ plant, near Ahmedabad, where the company has another joint venture with Bharat Serum & Vaccine.
Claris has transferred two of its existing plants to the JV and will continue to hold its 20% stake. For the transaction, Claris has received a total cash consideration of Rs 1,050 crores from the JV, Claris-Otsuka, valued at Rs 1,313 crores.
WTC franchisees queue up for space in GIFT City
August 2, 2013
Three franchisees of World Trade Centre (WTC) in India, belonging to Pune, Gurgaon and Mumbai which are part of World Trade Centre Association (WTCA) have expressed the intent to set up a new office in Gujarat International Finance-Tec City (GIFT).
Considering the competition among multiple franchisees for the same space in GIFT city, the matter is slated to be taken up with the WTC board in New York.
Zydus Hospitals & Healthcare Research recently started its first hospital operations at Anand, better known as Amul's hometown. They plan to add four hospitals in the next three years at Surat, Vadodara, Ahmedabad and Rajkot. The second hospital would come up at Ahmedabad and will have a helipad on the rooftop for air-ambulance services.
Apart from the two new projects, Zydus is also looking at co-marketing or in-licensing of patented drugs for domestic markets.

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Honda's output capacity in India will rise by 1.2 million to 5.8 million units once the plant starts producing.
Maruti, Siemens, L&T to help set up CoEs in Gujarat
September 11, 2013
Gujaratgovernment signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with companies likeMarutiSuzuki India, Hero Moto Corp,SiemensSoftware Company, Larsen & Toubro and Tata Group for setting up of five centre of excellence (CoE) in engineering.
TheseCoEswill be set up in five engineering colleges in the state. The MoUs were signed during a seminar on qualitative improvements in higher education at the Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar in presence of Gujarat Chief Minister Shri. Narendra Modi.
The MOUs were signed between Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University, Gandhinagar, Maruti Suzuki and Hero Moto-Corp; L D Engineering College, Ahmedabad and Larsen & Toubro and Tata group for the aerospace and defense centre of excellence; Industrial Training Institute (ITI) Kubernagar and Siemens and L&T for CoE in industrial machinery; and Maharaja Sayajirao University, Vadodara and Siemens for industrial automation. These CoEs will be set up on Public-private partnership model; at the cost of INR 500 crore. These centres are expected to benefit over 50,000 engineering students.
Giving details of the MoUs, industries minister, Shri Saurabh Patel said that setting up of the CoEs will be useful in catering to the demand of skilled-man power and in rapidly growing industrial sector in Gujarat.
Amul adopts green tech for its chocolate plantAugust 21, 2013Kaira District Co-operative Milk Producers Union Limited (KDCMPUL), popularly known as Amul Dairy, has adopted low carbon technology at the Amul chocolate plant at Mogar in Anand district. The technology commissioned by the dairy co- operative is first of its kind in Gujarat. The district dairy union's initiative comes on the back of its green initiatives involving lakhs of farmers to plant over 312 lakh saplings to make Green Gujarat and its green project at Virar in Maharashtra Honda to increase output capacity by 30% in India, the 4th plant likely to be in Western state of GujaratSeptember 4, 2013HondaMotor Co. Ltd. plans to increase its motorcycle production capacity inIndiaby 30% till 2016, aiming to catch up with market leader and former joint venture partner Hero MotoCorp Ltd.
The Japanese company will build a fourth plant, likely to be in the western state of Gujarat, at a cost of about JPY 20 billion and will hire 3,000 workers.

Focal Point
Gujarat’sdecadeofagriculturalsuccess
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However, starting from the year 2000, growth in agriculture sector picked up dramatically owing to diversification in the sector. Gujarat, being predominantly a nonfood crop economy with
with oilseed, groundnut, tobacco and cotton as principal crops, has been witnessing rise in share of high value sector, i.e., livestock, fruits and vegetables. The other sources of growth is the development in fruits and vegetable sector. Major fruits and vegetables produced in the state are mango, banana, potato, onion and brinjal. The state is venturing into horticulture diversification with fruits like pomegranate, guava, berand vegetables like cow-pea, tomato and cluster beam.
Along with increasing the value of agricultural outputs, the stress upon the development of infrastructure for agriculture has boosted the area under harvest, agricultural yield and productivity Since 70% land in Gujarat is arid and semi-arid, numerous initiatives have been undertaken to resolve the water shortage, the prominent ones being SardarSarovarProject and SardarPatel Participatory Water Conservation Project.
The harbinger of agricultural growth in India, the Green Revolution heralded a new focus on high yield varieties of seeds, extensive irrigation and government price support mechanism. Though Punjab and Haryana were the flag- bearers of this new era, ensuring prosperity to the their farmer’s community, the agro-structure in Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh have been on similar lines. In contrast, Gujarat’s agro-economy stands out due to its market orientation for ensuring fair returns to farmers. During the 80s and 90s, Gujarat’s growth was dominated by manufacturing and service sectors. But during this period agricultural growth had slowed down, showing little or no growth. This was attributed to many factors like saturation of earlier Green revolution, diminishing land productivity, decreasing public expenditure for agricultural development, lack of natural resources like water for irrigation and erratic rainfall.
“Strengthening Agriculture –is the only way to improve our economy, empower our youth and bring prosperity to our villages. The need of the hour is to increase productivity
and focus on value addition by assimilating the latest technologies and global best practices.”

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Moreover, Gujarat Green Revolution Company has been created to expedite the promotion of drip irrigation among farmers and JyotigramScheme has been introduced to maintain a balance between electricity and groundwater discharge for agriculture.
On the other hand, with government support, civil society organizations and the private sector have been contributing to this sector on equal footing, of which Bt cotton is a salient example. It is noteworthy that such dramatic turnaround in agriculture sector would not have been possible without institutional support from the state.
The epitome of such support are Gujarat Co- operative Milk Marketing Federation covering 2.7 million farmers in around 13100 villages; and other arrangements such as contract farming. Along with increasing farmers’ prosperity, these initiatives have enhanced private sector participation in agricultural exports, organized retail and rural infrastructure.
A dynamically new approach of participatory and inclusive management of Integrated Watershed Management Program, incorporating the livelihood component has led to progressive
Focal Point
to progressive participation from the primary stakeholders, i.e., the farmers. Such developmental programs and their inspirational results have sown the seeds of a positive change in the state landscape.
Establishment of Post Harvest Infrastructure facilities like On-farm pack houses, Grading Sorting lines, integrated pack houses, cold storages, Mango & Banana ripening chambers, cold chain are the key elements of the Horticulture Development Program of the Government. Huge investment is being made for establishment of such infrastructures to enhance internal & overseas trade of horticulture commodities.

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Thus, the state government has provided basic infrastructure facilities like electricity, water timely delivery of fertilizers , quality seeds and educated the farmers on latest technological developments and scientific ways to enhance agricultural produce. With the help of scientific research conducted by the four Agricultural Universities of the state, the Government provides quality seeds and ensures enough supply of fertilizer to the farmers. The government has also made successful efforts in growing other cash crops like cashew and strawberry.
As we have seen over the last few years, one of the major problems the nation is facing today is inflation, led by food products. And the primary reason behind such stubborn inflation has been supply side constraints in agricultural sector. On the public sector front, Gujarat has taken policy initiatives to increase investment in agricultural infrastructure like cold chains, warehouses and food processing units.
Steps are being taken to reduce the gap between farmers and agricultural research such as agricultural extension model named KrishiMahotsavawhich is an intensive month-long programme of mass contact promising an innovative approach to reinvent agricultural
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extension, to reconnect scientists with farmers and to extend the farmer’s production possibility frontier.
It is a model with customized and integrated approach which leads to sustainable agriculture development in the state. Gujarat has made commendable progress in soil testing programme in numerous ways including expansion of soil testing facilities, popularization of the programme in campaign mode through KrushiMahostsavprogramme, development of soil fertility maps and use of IT in delivering soil nutrient status & appropriate recommendations to farmers.
As a result of these novel approaches, a conducive environment has developed in Gujarat for the growth of agriculture sector, particularly boosted by the participating cooperatives and private players supported by the state. However, Gujarat still has to evolve ways to promote sustainable method of crop cultivation for state’s agricultural prosperity. In order to further accelerate the growth of agriculture sector, the state must expedite the spread of new technologies; value added crops and reforms in agri-marketing institutions

International Phosgene Conference, Vadodara
August 27, 2013
The second International Phosgene Conference was held on 27th August 2013 at the Welcome Hotel in Vadodara. It was organized by the Indian Chemical Council and supported by iNDEXTb. The conference saw excellent participation from the national and international industry members. Around 75 delegates from 15 different organizations took part in the conference. There were presentations on various topics related to the safety aspects, global regulatory scenarios, medical treatment and toxicology profiling. Indian companies also showcased their strengths in terms of phosgene related products and safety aspects followed.
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Taiwanese Business Delegation Meeting
August 30, 2013
A Taiwanese Business Delegation led by Mr. Yu- linChang, Dept of Investment Services, Ministry of Economic Affairs and comprising of about 10 business representative of different Taiwanese companies was on a 3 day visit to Gujarat to explore the possibility of investment in various sectors. During their visit, they had an interaction meeting with the officials of Industries Department at iNDEXTb on 30thAugust, 2013. The agenda of the meeting was to explore investment opportunities in sectors such as engineering, electronics, automation, textiles, rubber, etc.
An `interactive workshop provided a forum to discuss the several topics related to phosgene covered during the day and to understand it’s relevant to the Indian industry. The session was concluded with a promise of more collaboration between various players and help India take a centre stage in the global scenario. ICC suggested formation on a Phosgene Safety Council to help the Indian industry.
Netherlands Delegation Visit to Gujarat
September 6, 2013
A delegation of 35+ members representing 20+ Dutch companies from diverse sectors visited Ahmedabad on 6th September 2013 in order to explore possibilities of economic, commercial tie-ups as well as knowledge sharing. This visit also intended to stimulate and promote specific trade between the Netherlands and state of Gujarat through B2B meetings.
Events Calendar

The event started with a brief from Mr. Job Glas (Netherlands Business Support Office, Ahmedabad) where he highlighted the importance of this visit for business communities from both countries. Mr. Kamal Dayani, IAS (Industries Commissioner, Gujarat) welcomed all attendees and highlighted Gujarat’s strengths as ‘The leading business destination in India’ in his address.
Mr Sunil Parekh, Executive Committee Member, FICCI provided his views on the business and investor friendly environment in the state of Gujarat and highlighted the assistance offered by the Government of Gujarat and its excellent infrastructure.
In his keynote address, H.E. Mr. Alphonsus Stoelinga, the Netherlands Ambassador to India, revisited the strong relations between the Netherlands and India & Gujarat from 16th century. He suggested establishing centers of excellence (COE) in Gujarat, primarily in the areas of animal health and horticulture.
There were seminars on Urban Planning and Infrastructure and Agriculture and Food Security.
After the seminars, a select group of Dutch delegates headed by H.E. Mr. Alphonsus Stoelinga met Shri Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Chief Minister, Gujarat in Gandhinagar. During the meeting, Hon’ble Chief Minister invited companies from the Netherlands to have collaboration for developing affordable housing
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Agro Tech Summit 2013, Gandhinagar – Conference cum Exhibition
September 9 –10 , 2013
For the first time, a National level Agriculture Summit was organized to deliberate all several aspects of this important industry at Mahatma Mandir from 9th to 10th September 2013. A total of 29 states, 2 UT’s and 542 districts participated in the summit.
Other dignitaries to speak at the event were Hon’ble Minister for Agriculture, Water Resources, Animal Husbandry and Cow Protection, Government of Gujarat, Mr. Babubhai Bokhiriya, Mr. Anders K Adamsen, Hon’ble Minister –Counselor, Food, Agriculture & Fisheries, Denmark.
and in the field of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry to set up an animal husbandry University in Gujarat.
Food security and Urban Planning and Infrastructure were the key themes for seminars arranged as part of this visit to leverage expertise and knowledge of Dutch companies as well as considering sharing of best practices.
Events Calendar

During his speech, Mr. Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Chief Minister, Gujarat, focused on efficient usage of water –the main challenge faced by the Agriculture sector. The other important focus points touched upon were: A new tagline –“Per drop more crop”, Making farmers aware of the modern technologies from across the globe, The future of Agriculture -Organic Farming, A video on the most awaited “Statue of Unity” –a statue symbolizing the unity of the entire nation and reflected on that fact that around 2500 farmers per day leave farming and join other professions. A Kisaan Panchayat was organized for felicitating the farmers who contributed to the Agriculture sector and the farmers shared their experiences on the efficient farming practices adopted by them. Various seminars were also held regarding the recent technologies and aspects of good agriculture for the education of farmers. Some of the topics of the seminars included Bio- technology in Agriculture, Hi-tech Horticulture & Farm Mechanization, Input-Output Agriculture Supply Chain and Linking Farmers to the Market, Agriculture, Livestock and Dairy Sector, Access to Agriculture Credit and Risk Management, etc
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The event also showcased the inventions and innovations in Digital Technology and Electronics Consumables. Also, several MoUs were signed between the Telecom Sector Skill Council (TSSC) and GESIA members.
Cmde (Retd) J Jena, CEO TSSC delivered the welcome address. He said that other states should replicate Gujarat’s model of development. The government realized the gap in industry specific skills and 21 skill centers has been created across sectors.
The Chief Guest of the event, Mr. Maheshwar Sahu, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary, Ministry of Industry & Mines, Government of Gujarat deliberated that while drafting the Industrial Policy 2009, a major agenda was to take skill development to another level and the government plans to set up nearly 300 centers using private sector’s assistance. So far 200 centers have been established.
The topics of the seminar covered around the changing dynamism of the telecom industry and how there is immense need for skill development in this sector.
Hyper Digitronics Expo, Ahmedabad – Seminar cum Exhibition
September 13 –15 , 2013
An expo was organized at Rajpath Club, Ahmedabad to showcase Consumer Electronics, Home Appliances and Digital Products and reflected on the need for skill development in the telecom sector.
Events Calendar

Gujarat’sNavratri–Theworld’smostspectaculardancefestival
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Among the several forms of Raas, the most popular one is "Dandiya Raas", which is performed during Navratri. It is known for setting the festive mood. It is performed in the honor of Goddess Durga. It is the dramatization of a mock fight between the Goddess and Mahishasura -the mighty demon-king. The sticks of the dance represent the sword of Durga. The clashing sound of the Dandia sticks is music to ears. The festival is a true blend of devotion, dance and drum beats.
The women wear traditional dresses such as colorful embroidered choli, ghagra and bandhani dupattas glittering with mirror work and heavy jewellery and perform it in a graceful and rhythmic manner in a circle as they rotate around the 'mandvi'.
On the day following the completion of nine nights, Dussera festival is celebrated. The day marks the victory of Lord Ram over the demon King Ravan who had abducted Lord Ram's consort Site. Effigies of Ravan, Meghnath and Kumbhakarna, stuffed with crackers, are burnt at a number of places. The day signifies the victory of good, personified by Ram, over evil, personified by Ravan.
Gujarat can rightly be termed as the “Land of Festivals and Fairs” with almost 3,500 of them being celebrated in different parts of the state every year. Like elsewhere in India, the festivals and fairs of Gujarat revolve around an occasion - be it the turn of a season, the time for harvesting a golden field, or a religious event from India's extensive and rich mythological traditions.
One of the most colorful and truly evocative festivals celebrated in the state is Navratri which is spread over nine nights. Each day of the nine- days is dedicated to the worship of different forms of Goddess Durga, which unfolds the religious importance of the occasion. It is celebrated not only in Gujarat but in other parts of the country as well. Huge arrangements are done for Navratri. Even the state government makes arrangements for the people to enjoy the occasion completely.
It is a nine-day carnival, with glowing city lights, scintillating dance performances and grooving music. The performance of Garba, a popular folk dance of Gujarat, is the highlight of the celebrations of Navratri in the state.
There are Garbacompetitions in major cities and towns. In the Garbaand Rasdances there is music, rhythm, grace, sweetness and above all colour. It is mode of culture and self expression of a people unique to Gujarat.
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Gujarat Government plans on investment opportunities for private business in Agricultural sector

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