Two years ago, Ratan Tata had said that one would be stupid not to invest in Gujarat. And now with foreign investors and others in India Inc also heading there, Brand Gujarat is shining bright. 

“If one Narendrabhai can be so much for Gujarat, imagine what is the possibility of India by having Narendrabhai as the next leader of India?” said Anil Ambani, group chairman of Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group.

High praises have come from top industrialists for the Gujarat Chief Minister and with due reason, too. While an economic slowdown has hit global markets, Gujarat seems to have become immune.

In just two days of the Global Investors’ Summit, the state managed to get investment commitments worth Rs 12 lakh crore.

Not surprisingly, India’s top industrialists showered the Gujarat CM with abundant praise. 

Praising Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, Bharti Airtel Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal said, “Modi has a magnetic personality, which has attracted several companies to the state. I have had the opportunity to observe him closely during work and I must say that we run only companies and earn money but if there is one person who can run not only a company, a sector, but a whole nation as a CEO, it’s Narendra Modi.” 

Apart from large Indian corporates, more than one-third of the investment came from foreign players, whether it was the Japanese implementing a metro rail project or the Koreans aiming for a share in the telecom market. 

“I really noticed that this state provides very good environment for business and I can see the real success story of private partnership projects in Gujarat,” said Joon Yun Kim, project head at S K Telecom.

The state government is naturally pleased.

“Today Gujarat is the ideal destination for investments in India,” said Gujarat Industries Minister Saurabh Dalal.

On day two of the global investors’ summit, it is evident that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi is desperate to make it a point that there is no recession in industries and investments as far as Gujarat is concerned.