The Indian state of Madhya Pradesh offers great investment potential to UAE-based companies and investors, particularly in sectors such as food processing, tourism, mining and infrastructure.
Earlier this month, a delegation from India’s second-largest state made a strong pitch to UAE investors and industry associations to explore investment opportunities. The delegation was led by Rajvardhan Singh Dattigaon, Minister, Department of Industrial Policy and Investment Promotion (DIPIP), who met investors in Dubai as part of the Madhya Pradesh Week at the India Pavilion in Expo 2020.
Dattigaon, along with senior officials, discussed various areas of collaborations between the two countries and ensured comprehensive support from the state government.
Sanjay Kumar Shukla, IAS, Principal Secretary, DIPIP, Madhya Pradesh, briefed the investors about the business ecosystem of focus sectors of the state. He also emphasised that Madhya Pradesh was leaving no stone unturned to facilitate investors and is committed to take comprehensive ease-of-doing-business measures in the state.
The delegation had 15 one-to-one meetings with investors and discussed various collaboration opportunities.
Ahead of the visit, Dattigaon said: “At Expo2020, we would like to display our strengths. Madhya Pradesh is not only blessed with abundant natural resources but also has one of the finest technically trained manpower in the state.”
“The state has been ranked fourth in terms of ease of doing business and our sectors like logistics, tourism, automobile, renewable energy and textile offer a huge scope of investment,” said the minister. “With open arms, we welcome the world to explore the potential that the state offers. We are warm-hearted people with a lot of potential. We want to grow with our partners. So, let’s make this place more wonderful.”
A preferred destination
Madhya Pradesh’s chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, in a tweet, cited reasons that made the state a preferred location for investors.
“Abundance of resources, skilled talent and peaceful environment makes Madhya Pradesh a leader in processing, engineering and manufacturing industries and a preferred location for investors,” said Chouhan in a tweet. “We are ready to partner with the global industrial leaders to our state.”
The Madhya Pradesh delegation interacted with the representatives of the Annual Investment Meet (AIM), Government of UAE, which is the world’s leading platform for foreign direct investment (FDI).
Members of the delegation also met with the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce, Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and People of Indian Origin Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PIOCCI).
Pursuit of excellence
The Madhya Pradesh government has been working over the past decade to develop the state as an industrial hub and promote it as a potential investment destination.
Madhya Pradesh, which stands 5th among Indian states in the ease of doing business ranking, is a leader in textile manufacturing, automobiles, food processing, engineering and agriculture equipment manufacturing.
As of August 2021, its gross state domestic product (GSDP) for 2020-21 stood at $126.40 billion.
