A three-day ‘Haat of India’ seeking investment from Chinese industrialists in Madhya Pradesh was inaugurated at ‘lotus Hall Courtyard by Marriott’ here on Saturday.
Chinese Ambassador to India Wei Wei was the chief guest. President of India-China Economic and Cultural Council PS Devdhar, over 150 representatives of various Chinese industries, were also present on the occasion. Ambassador Wei Wei while commenting on the occasion, hailed the efforts for providing a forum to Chinese industries to invest in Madhya Pradesh. He added that both Prime Ministers of India and China have exchanged visits due to which diplomatic ties between the two countries have cemented.
He further said that constant efforts were being made to resolve border disputes and promote economic cooperation and friendship between the two countries. Wei said that positive atmosphere was vital to increase economic cooperation between the two Asian giants. Since both the countries were neighbours, they should continue to promote mutual economic cooperation, he asserted.
Wei Wei stressed the need to expand economic activities for removing trade imbalance between China and India and added that Indian industrialists were being motivated to do business in China and Chinese industrialists were also being motivated to invest in India in large number. He observed the Chinese investment in Madhya Pradesh could be boosted if a Chinese Industrial Park was set up in India. If a Chinese Industrial Park on the lines of Chinese model is set up, Chinese industrialists will be motivated to invest in the country.
Citing example of China-Singapore Industrial Park, Wei Wei said that if Chinese Industrial Park is set up in Madhya Pradesh also then jobs will become available to large number of youths apart from strengthening of rural economy. Chief Secretary Anthony DeSa highlighted that Madhya Pradesh was the heartland of India due to which smooth means of transport to and from all parts of India were available here. With its central location, Madhya Pradesh has immense scope for emerging as logistics hub of the country. He said that State’s agriculture growth rate was the highest in India and it had become a pioneer State in production of wheat and rice.
Drawing the Chinese delegates, the Chief Secretary said adequate water was stored in dams of the State, and it was also a power-surplus State. Workers and trained human resources were adequately available here. The Chief Secretary said that the State would consider to establish a Chinese Industrial Park in Madhya Pradesh.
About the State’s Industrial policy, Anthony said Chinese industrialists would definitely like better industrial policy of Madhya Pradesh as compared to other States. This would help in improving people’s living conditions apart from jobs to youths on a large scale. At the outset, Additional Chief Secretary Panchayats and Rural Development Aruna Sharma said that attention was paid in Madhya Pradesh to both agriculture and non-agriculture sectors’ growth. For increasing productivity, latest techniques were being adopted in the agriculture sector.