Canada conspicuous by its absence at upcoming Vibrant Gujarat Summit

The 10th Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, to be held in Gandhinagar from January 10 to 12, has an interesting mix of foreign participants. 

Petr Fiala, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, will be the guest of honour. Singapore will participate as a partner country, hosting a dedicated pavilion to showcase nine major companies that have a presence in Gujarat. Said a statement issued by the High Commission of Singapore: “Singapore and its companies will strengthen economic cooperation with the state of Gujarat through expanded investments in Gujarat’s green economy and sustainability sector.”

Notably, Canada, which has been an important and regular partner of the summit since 2011, does not figure in the list of 34 partner countries that have confirmed their partnership this year so far.

It may be recalled that Canada has been involved in a diplomatic standoff with India after its Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged that the Indian government has a link to the murder of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in the North American country.

Country-led seminars

Partner countries for the event like Japan, Australia, Singapore, United Kingdom, Germany, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Kazakhstan, Norway, Ukraine, Estonia, Mozambique, Netherlands, Slovak Republic, UAE, Morocco, Rwanda, Finland, Thailand, Poland, Russia and Malaysia and Mauritius are expected to hold their respective seminars as part of the summit.

There will be at least 21 countries including Russia, Timor Leste, Saudi Arabia and nine African nations that will partner with the Gujarat government in the three-day Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit (VGGS), beginning January 10 in Gandhinagar, for the first time.

Apart from the 34 partner countries and 16 partner organisations for this year’s summit, 25 high-ranking executives from some of the largest global corporations have officially confirmed their attendance for the three-day event.

Mega deals

Ahead of the event, the state government, in a media briefing, said it has signed a total of 234 memorandums of understanding (MoUs), of which 58 were signed last week. These cover cumulative investments of more than Rs 10.31 lakh-crore in various sectors with a potential to generate around 13 lakh employment opportunities.

Among the MoUs were several signed by central PSUs like National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), Power Finance Corporation, Power Grid Corporation, ONGC, HPCL, IOCL, and state government enterprises like Gujarat Industries Power Company and Gujarat State Electricity Corporation, said the statement by the Gujarat government.

Roopwant Singh, the Managing Director of GMDC, said top business leaders who have confirmed their presence include Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Chairman, DP World, UAE, Sanjay Mehrotra, CEO, Micron Technologies, US, John Tuttle, Vice-Chairman, New York Stock Exchange, US, Toshihiro Suzuki, President, Suzuki Motor Corporation, Japan, Michael Syn, President and Head of Global Markets Division, Singapore Exchange, Keith Svendsen Bertina, CEO, APM Terminals, Denmark, Yusuff Ali MA, Chairman & MD, Lulu Group International, UAE, Vladimir Kazbekov, Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer, New Development Bank, Shanghai, Omar al Mahrizi, CEO, Sohar Freezone, Oman and Erik Solheim, Chairman, Green Hydrogen Development Plan (GHDP), Switzerland.

“Invitations were sent to partners as per the suggestion from the Ministry of External Affairs and Gujarat has got very good response from 40 or 42 countries that have been invited to the summit. So, the number of partner countries might go up by one or two this year,” said SJ Haider, Additional Chief Secretary of Industries and Mines, in a press conference.

Only veg food for guests

The Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit is all set to offer a unique culinary experience to attendees from 136 countries with a variety of vegetarian delicacies. According to reports, the three-day summit at the Mahatma Mandir Convention Centre, Gandhinagar, will exclusively serve vegetarian cuisine, which will be organised by the Leela Hotel.

In a press briefing, the Gujarat government said a Vibrant Bharat Thali, priced at approximately Rs 4,000, is being designed exclusively for the VGGS that shall be available to golden cardholders only. Attendees will be served a lunch based on the theme of ‘Taste of India’ on the first day, featuring a diverse cuisine from all Indian states.

The evening will be restricted to a traditional Gujarati meal of khichdi kadhi, offering a taste of the local cuisine. On January 11, the delegates will be served local millet-based dishes which will be in line with the summit's commitment to sustainability.