NRGs invited to mega Navratri event

AHMEDABAD: On the anvil are Gujarat government''s plans of organising a nine-day mega event for Non-Resident Gujaratis (NRGs), which will be Gujarat''s version of the ''Pravasi Bharatiya Divas'' celebrated on January 9 in New Delhi.
The event, starting on September 26, will last through the Navratri festival. The state government expects participation of NRGs from about 150 countries and will also invite about 15 Gujarati associations from each of the six major destinations, that of the US, UK, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
Minister for the NRG department Ashok Bhatt said, "Navratri 2003 is a mega event which will be handled on a priority basis by the industry, tourism and NRG department of the government.We have also planned to organise industry visits, business meets and seminars for NRGs during this period."
Bhatt informed that after the NRI event in New Delhi, NRGs had started sending in queries about exploring the potential of the state in terms of it being a lucrative business destination. "This nine-day event will present an opportunity to NRGs to explore business possibilities in the state," said Bhatt.
"Navratri 2003 celebrations will be hosted in all major cities of Gujarat including Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Rajkot and Surat. Visitors interested in exploring industrial areas will be put up in Ahmedabad, small-scale industries in Rajkot, those wanting to explore pharmaceutical industries will be put up at Vadodara and Surat would be the destination for delegates interested in jewellery and diamond," added Bhatt.
Milind Godbole of the British Trade Office said, "This event certainly presents a platform for NRGs who are eager to invest in the state. This event, which will combine pleasure and business, will help the delegates in getting first hand information on investment opportunities."
Chairman of the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce Prakash Bhagwati opined that the event, if carried out successfully, could establish Gujarat as a safe business destination. "It has been witnessed in the past that communal tensions surface during festivals. However, proving that business activities of corporates in Gujarat are not hampered by such disturbances may help in re-establishing the NRG''s confidence in the state."
Mukesh Shah, a member of the governing council of the NRG Foundation informed that they had planned to invite NRGs for such events in Gujarat every year. "A mega event, planned for NRIs in 2001 could not take place because of the earthquake and then the riots did not leave room for such an event last year." Shah, who visited US, UK, South Africa and Kenya as a NRG Foundation delegate in 2001, added that many Gujaratis staying in these countries had expressed a desire to come and participate in different celebrations in the state.
However Krishnakant Vakharia, president of the Vishwa Gujarati Samaj said, "Certainly many NRGs will come and participate in the event. But if success is to be measured by the number of business projects that Gujarat will receive, then this event will get a response similar to the one that ''Resurgent Gujarat'' got. Unless the authorities asks non-government organisations to manage the event, it will be TOUGH to establish any credibility," he said.