The United Kingdom (UK) is mulling to continue as partner country along with other countries in Gujarat Government’s flagship biennial event for trade and investment — Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit (VGGS) — for the 9th edition to be held in January 2019.
“Gujarat is an important business destination for the UK. In VGGS 2017, UK brought a delegation representing 31 British companies. In 2019, it would be even bigger delegation representing across all important sectors. VGGS emerged as one of the major business networking platforms to explore business opportunities with companies across the globe including that of India,” said Geoff Wain, Deputy High Commissioner at British Deputy High Commission Ahmedabad.
Talking to the Pioneer, Wain said that the British companies were eyeing at pharmaceutical, engineering, chemical, renewable energy among others. With nearly 8 per cent contribution in India’s GDP, Gujarat is developing fast, he says adding that British companies would like to be part of the State’s development story by providing technical know-how, research support and investment. At the same time, Indian companies too would be encouraged to invest in the UK, he adds.
For the year 2017-18, UK Deputy High Commission office at Ahmedabad aiming at minimum 16 million pound investment from British companies in Gujarat. According to him members of Gujarat diaspora settled in the UK for 2-3 generations were looking to invest in the State.
VGGS is the brainchild of Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he was Gujarat Chief Minister. In 2003 VGGS was initiated by Modi to rekindle the pace of investments in the State.
Since then as many as eight editions of the biennial Summit completed successfully. In the last VGGS in the year 2017 as many as 12 countries officially partnered in the event including Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Japan, Netherlands, Poland, Singapore, Sweden, UAE, UK, and the USA.