Vibrant Gujarat US Delegation Meets World Bank and IMF Officials
Sanjay Trivedi
Business, Economy, India Subcontinent, News, South East Asia, World News
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- The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) organised a special seminar on ‘Vibrant Gujarat - Shaping a New India’ for the delegation led by Mr Arvind Agarwal, ACS (Finance), Government of Gujarat in Washington DC on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary. It was a befitting occasion to discuss the various perspectives on what ‘Shaping a New India’ means for policy makers and the land of the Mahatma – Gujarat- plays in India’s future.
- Acknowledging the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary, Ambassador Carla Hills said, "Gujarat stands out in any discussion about India's economic future and the Vibrant Gujarat Summits, which were started by the Prime Minster Narendra Modi, have been a key component of Gujarat’s economic success."
- Expounding further on this, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Mr. David Ranz commented, "Gujarat matters to US companies and the recent visit of Ambassador Kenneth Juster to Gujarat is a testimony to this."
- Speaking at the occasion, Indian Ambassador to the US, H.E. Navtej Sarna said that several Indian and Gujarat-based companies have set up base in USA and both countries can collaborate in areas such as skill development, healthcare, education and infrastructure, which he mentioned are the pillars of ‘A New India.’
- In the course of discussions, leading academicians from institutions such as Dr. Kalpana Kochhar from the IMF, Mr. Richard Rossow from the Center for International & Strategic Studies (CSIS) gave their views on a range of issues from judicial reforms and skill development to deepening Interstate Engagement.
- Mr. Swaminath Iyer, a research fellow at the Cato Institute and a regular columnist with the Times of India emphasized the need for judicial and police reforms and said, “For a New India, major reforms on police and judicial systems is the need of the hour.”
- Dr. Kalpana Kochhar of IMF said, "Rapid emergence of technologies will impact creation of jobs. An innovative approach to education and labour market regulations is an area that
- policy makers should focus on.” While Mr. Richard Rossow from CSIS spoke of deepeping engagement at the State level and mentioned that, “People abroad sometimes overlook the fact that it is the states that contribute to the India growth story. Gujarat has a place of prominence as far as economic growth of India is concerned.”
- Making the concluding remarks, Mr. Arvind Agarwal appreciated the “Galaxy of intellectuals and dignitaries who with their vast experience in their domain, for sharing their knowledge, advises and opinions”. He thanked the guests for their insights on the challenges of job creation in a technologically advancing world and the need for judicial and police reforms to provide a secure environment to the citizens of the country.
- Promising to share knowledge gained from such a stimulating dialogue with the State Government in Gujarat and the Union Government, Mr. Arvind Agarwal expressed his deep gratitude to Dr. Mukesh Aghi President, USISPF for organizing such a successful and enriching experience for the Vibrant Gujarat delegation over two weeks in the United States.
- The U.S India Strategic Partnership Forum is an advocacy group committed promoting bilateral trade between the United States and India working closely together with business and government leaders to achieve our goals of driving economic growth, job creation, innovation, inclusion, and entrepreneurship.
- The marquee event was also attended by senior members from the IMF and think tanks such as the Hudson Institute and Council for Strategic & International Studies etc. The guests present gave their views on what India needs to do for realizing the vision of New India and how Gujarat plays a crucial role in Shaping a New India.
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