In Conversation with Vasundhara Raje, Rajasthan’s Chief Minister

By Kealan Finnegan

Running a state of nearly 70 million people is a demanding job, but Vasundhara Raje the Chief Minister of Rajasthan was able to take some time from her busy schedule to speak to UKIBC Business Exchange about why UK companies should be looking to invest in one of India's fastest growing states.

1. What have been the hardest challenges you’ve faced since becoming Chief Minister of Rajasthan?

Spelling out the vision and laying the foundation for a new, vibrant and resurgent Rajasthan is what we are trying to do. Reconciling the ever increasing aspirations of the youth, managing the fiscal and creating physical infrastructure are some of the major challenges before us.

2. What is your vision for Rajasthan’s economy? What industries do you see driving Rajasthan’s growth?

We are looking at leap-frogging the economy of the state to a double digit growth rate with a robust social and economic infrastructure in place. We realise that in order to achieve this, we need to identify and work on economic drivers such as manufacturing, electronic hardware and software, non-conventional energy, value addition in agriculture and dairy etc. Creation of appropriate economic and social infrastructure is germane to such growth and is among our priorities.

3. What are the State’s core strengths?

A youthful, hardworking workforce, proximity to the National Capital Region, 40% of the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) passing through the state, varied agricultural and animal husbandry produce, mineral deposits, huge potential for wind and solar power generation and tourism are areas where Rajasthan stands out as a clear leader.

4. With so much of the DMIC passing through Rajasthan, what impact do you expect this to have on the State?

The DMIC and the dedicated freight corridor are going to be major economic drivers for the state. Subsequent to the Union Government’s announcements, we intend to capitalize on the DMIC and have in place smart cities, manufacturing, process outsourcing hubs and hubs for financial services, incubation centres and knowledge centres. These will support the appetite for human resources and technological inputs likely to be generated.

5. What market is there for a British investor’s goods and services? Why should UK businesses, especially SMEs, look to invest in Rajasthan?

For a British business person, Rajasthan offers terrific opportunities for investment in wind and solar power generation, tourism and hospitality, defence sub-system manufacture, IT and ITES, mines and minerals, automobile and many more. We would like to engage with British expertise in urban management, heritage conservation and management, engineering and value addition, non-conventional energy, skilling Rajasthan according to the needs of international businesses and any other area of mutual interest. The SME sector, often underrated, is capable of transforming economic growth. We look forward to learning from this experience. Rajasthan enjoys advantages of land, location and human resources, especially engineering workforce at competitive rates, good connectivity and has a very positive labour environment – all of which are reasons for British SMEs to consider Rajasthan as an investment destination.

6. There are many areas where UK businesses and investors could partner with the state of Rajasthan, but where do you see the biggest opportunities for a UK-Rajasthan partnership?

As you have mentioned, there are many areas of opportunity for Rajasthan as well as for British investors. The expertise in areas such as healthcare, travel, tourism and hospitality management, non-conventional energy, urban renewal and waste management are sectors that hold immense promise.

7. Of course Rajasthan is blessed with outstanding natural beauty and a unique history, but what can be done to boost the tourism sector?

Rajasthan as a travel destination offers timeless heritage and magnificent nature scapes – some of the finest in the world. We are now looking at offering experiential travel which will make the tourist crave for more. Rajasthan has monuments pertaining to every known period of history and is a veritable museum of the evolution of architecture. A priority area is conservation and restoration of monuments so that they become ‘living monuments’. This is an area that offers some unique opportunities of partnership. Moreover, we are interested in partnerships in travel and hospitality management including niche travel- cultural tourism, historical tourism, nature tourism, village tourism etc. We are looking at suggestions about packaging and marketing all our varied products of touristic interest.

8. Indian states are increasingly more influential in shaping the Indian economy. What does this mean for attracting business investment, attracting technology and creating jobs?

The federal structure of Indian polity has passed the test of time and enriched the cultural fabric of the country. The present governments, in the centre and in the states, firmly believe that stronger states lead to a stronger centre. It is in this backdrop that policies and programmes are being tailored to harness the demographic dividend and create world class infrastructure coupled with science and technology as the bedrock of development processes. While the centre is creating an enabling policy environment, the states including ours are working at ensuring availability of space and infrastructure to support and encourage businesses, large and small. Our focus on infrastructure creation, human resource development and skilling and working towards ease of doing business are contributions which we believe shall in the long term lead to a higher happiness quotient for our citizens and intra, and inter, generational equity. Prosperity of all is our mantra.

What next?

The UK India Business Council will be participating in this year’s “Partnership Summit 2015” which is being held in Jaipur by the Government of India, Government of Rajasthan, and the Confederation of Indian Industry. The Summit is expected to attract up to 1500 delegates, with 40 percent joining from overseas, and is the ideal platform for top business leaders to discuss the global trends that are shaping India, and the wider world. As part of UKIBC’s involvement we will be taking a business delegation to Rajasthan, and you can find out more about this visit by emailing events@ukibc.com


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