Global Meet: 92,000 crore investment pledged in Himachal Pradesh

DHARAMSHALA: Himachal Pradesh has signed 603 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) promising Rs 92,439 crore investment in the state, well over the Rs 85,000 crore target that the state government had set.
At the inauguration of Himachal Pradesh's first ever 'Global Investors Meet', chief minister Jai Ram Thakur expressed his intent in developing the state as a hub of research and development in pharmaceuticals as well as establish it as a bulk drug pharma hub, to reduce the nation's import bill.
He also said key areas have been identified by the government - health, education, affordable and clean energy, sustainable industrialization - to achieve inclusive growth for state's long-term socio-economic development.
Stating that Himachal has immense potential for investment in power, tourism and housing sectors, he urged investors to make 'Devbhoomi' as their 'Karmabhoomi'.
To ensure ease of doing business, an investment promotion authority will be put in place soon, he said, adding that he has also approved a scheme for addressing legacy cases of VAT regime.
According to him, the pristine beauty, clean air, peaceful environment, cultural diversity and linguistic plurality make Himachal Pradesh one of the most visited states in the country. Now, the aspiration of the state is to make it a leading global sustainable tourism destination, he added.
CM Thakur said the two-day meet is a platform to bring together heads of states, leaders from the corporate world, senior policymakers, development agencies, heads from institutions of international repute and academia from across the world to further boost socio-economic development in the state.
Pointing out that state offers attractive incentives under the industrial investment policy to boost industrialisation, he said policies covering sectors such as tourism, information technology and housing, were framed to attract investment in these sectors. This has paid dividends, he said, in form of 603 agreements pledging Rs 92,439 crore investment in the state.
The meet, itself, he held, was inspired by the success of vibrant Gujarat events organised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, when he was chief minister of Gujarat. Seeing how investors took to Gujarat after such events, he said his government took the historic decision to showcase state's immense potential for investment, too.