'UK to UK': Uttarakhand CM invites investors to state summit

London: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has called on companies and institutions in the UK to explore investment opportunities in the state as he extended an invitation for the Destination Uttarakhand Global Investors Summit to be held in Dehradun in December.

During a London Roadshow event on Tuesday evening, the Dhami-led delegation also penned a memorandum of understanding (MoU) worth Rs 1,000 crore with construction firm Usha Breco as it announced an investment target of Rs 2.5 lakh crore for the December summit.

From tourism and pharmaceuticals to auto components and education, the delegation highlighted the many advantages of investing in the fast-growing state of northern India.

“As the Chief Minister of one of the country’s youngest states, I am here in Britain to explore opportunities for greater economic and cultural cooperation between the UK and Uttarakhand… UK to UK,” said Dhami, in an address in Hindi which was translated into English on screen.

“When you come to Uttarakhand, whichever way you go you will find a new destination. The worldwide hub of yoga and ayurveda is located in the state and the ancient heartland of Hinduism also lies at the heart of Devbhoomi Uttarakhand… Our aim is to position the state of Uttarakhand as the fastest growing economy in India while maintaining its unique natural and cultural heritage,” he said.

The chief minister highlighted the Namami Gange Rejuvenation Project and food processing among some of the areas holding great potential for UK-Uttarakhand collaboration and also pointed to several multinationals already actively involved in the state.

“Our state has been successful in creating a unique identity for itself in India in the field of technology and innovation. Britain is a world power in this field, hence your experience is very important to us,” he said.

“You are also a leader in the field of healthcare and life sciences. Our state is one of the areas developed as a pharma hub of India. There are three pharma clusters in the state in which more than 300 industries are functioning. You can work with us in this field also,” he added.

The chief minister-led delegation also addressed queries from the gathering of industrialists and entrepreneurs keen to explore investment opportunities in the state and called on them to sign non-binding MoUs at the event, to be followed up during the Global Investors Summit in Dehradun on December 8 and 9.

“Along with ease of doing business, the state also has peace of doing business. The state has got a lot of thrust centres such as hospitality and tourism, automobile sector, pharmaceutical sector, AYUSH, wellness, health and education where we are actively wooing investment,” said Dr R. Meenakshi Sundaram, Secretary to the chief minister.

“Uttarakhand’s development trajectory in the last decade or so has been nothing short of remarkable. What has made it exciting is the consistency of policy, with the effort to capitalise on location and the natural advantages that the state has,” noted Indian High Commissioner to the UK, Vikram Doraiswami, in his welcome address.

The London Roadshow will be followed by a similar roadshow in Birmingham on Wednesday when a series of industrial and academic interactions are also scheduled.

On Thursday, the final day of the four-day UK visit, discussions with representatives from European countries such as Spain and Germany are expected.