Grand laser show to open gala Navratri
A spectacular laser show at the Kankaria football ground to be inaugurated by deputy prime minister L.K. Advani on Thursday will throw open the Navratri celebrations and the Vibrant- Gujarat -global investors summit.

The inauguration will be followed by a global investor’s summit at Tagore hall, a series of workshops and conventions in three cities, and grand Gandhi Jayanti celebrations at Porbandar to mark the Navratri festival in the state. The Vibrant Gujarat-global investor’s summit has blended with Navratri, marketed as the longest dance festival, is now set for a pulsating start from Thursday with the state hoping that an industrial and infrastructure investment climate created will be like never seen before.

Grand rehearsals are being carried out at the Kankaria football ground.

With 67 lakh e-mails set across the globe inviting potential global investors NRIs, NRGs, Gujarat Association, national and international travel agents and others the state government is expecting an estimated 50,000 tourists to visit the state.

However, chief secretary P.K. Laheri, who spoke to the press on Thursday, was evasive about the number of potential investors, who had arrived as part of global investor’s summit. "We are not ready to speculate on figures of visitors. The figures of tourists and investors visiting will be given after the function," Mr Laheri said.

Giving a power point presentation at the GMDC building here principal secretary, industries and tourism, D. Rajgopalan said the focus for investment is on sectors like gas and petroleum, tourism, minerals and mining, port infrastructure, road infrastructure, biotechnology & pharmaceuticals, education, agro and food processing, apparel and garments and gems and jewellery.

"The reason for the summit is to showcase Gujarat as investment destination to the world and to get investment for the development of the state," he said.

Mr Rajgopalan said the event has been timed with Navratri because Gujarat is at its cultural best during Navratri. "Navratri is being marketed as the icon of Gujarat. We also want to send across a message of peaceful Gujarat," he said.

Giving details of the programmes he said 14 dance troupes from across the country will be participating in the Navratri with either from the state itself and one from Indonesia. He said a laser programme has been organised at Kankaria during the inaugural session and a Maha aarti has also been organised.

He said a gem and jewellery workshop has been organised between Friday and Sunday. The global investors summit has been planned between September 28-30 and exhibitions, conferences and seminars at various venues in Ahmedabad and Surat have been simultaneously organised at Ahmedabad and Surat. A textile and garment mart and conference on gems and jewellery have also been organised on October 1 and 2.

A total of 150 projects have been proposed for investment in an elaborate document.

The state government has also organised a workshop on disaster management at Gandhidham on September 30. A grand light and sound show has been organised in Porbandar, the terra firma of the Mahatma on October 2 to coincide with his birth anniversary where a conference on vegetarian food and environment and Khadi will be held.

Republished from The Asian Age