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Gandhinagar, Nov 4 (IANS) Gujarat has once again reaffirmed its position as one of India’s most progressive and business-friendly states, emerging as the leader in the ‘Fast Moving’ category under the latest Business Reform Action Plan (BRAP) rankings released by the Government of India, shared by officials on Tuesday.
This announcement was made during the third session of the ‘Atal Remembrance Lecture Series’ organized by the Sardar Patel Institute of Public Administration (SPIPA) in collaboration with the Secretariat under the Administrative Reforms and Training Division of the Department of General Administration at the Gandhinagar campus of SPIPA.
The session on “Developed Gujarat – Essentials of Governance for a Developed India” featured practical discussions in line with the Developed India@2047 vision. Delivering the keynote address, Rajiv Gauba, Member, NITI Aayog and former Cabinet Secretary, Government of India, highlighted Gujarat’s leading role in governance, reforms and trade facilitation.
Lauding Gujarat’s contribution to the national development story, Gauba said, “Gujarat has consistently been a leader not only in industrial development but also in governance reforms. Driven by the strategic vision of the Central Government, Gujarat was the first state to establish the Gujarat State Institution for Transformation (GRIT) – a state-level body modeled on the NITI Aayog.”
Citing data from the CAG Report 2023, Gauba pointed out that Gujarat has 101 public sector undertakings (PSUs) and ranks third nationally in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI). He also highlighted the state’s uniqueness as the host of India’s first commercial semiconductor manufacturing facility and the country’s first private aircraft manufacturing initiative, underscoring Gujarat’s continued excellence in trade reform implementation.
Elaborating on the recent initiatives, Gauba mentioned the state’s newly launched Global Capability Centers (GCC) policy, which aims to attract 250 new GCCs, mobilize investment of Rs 10,000 crore and create a large number of skilled jobs through capital subsidies and other incentives. “With the longest coastline in India, Gujarat is strategically placed for port-led development – an essential pillar in building a developed India 2047,” he said.
The event was attended by senior dignitaries including Dr. Jayanti Ravi (Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Revenue), Harit Shukla (Principal Secretary, General Administration Department), Ardra Agarwal (Planning Secretary), Mihir Wadekar (OSD, NITI Aayog) and former Chief Secretary JN Singh along with officers, faculty members and students of SPIPA. The ‘Atal Memorial Lecture Series’, organized throughout the year to commemorate the 100th birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, aims to inspire governance excellence and visionary leadership among public administrators. This was the third season of the series.
Gauba, a 1982-batch IAS officer of Jharkhand cadre, served as the Cabinet Secretary from August 2019 to August 2024 – the longest tenure in the post. His leadership played a key role in improving national preparedness during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as pushing forward key reforms such as ease of doing business. Before becoming Cabinet Secretary, he also served as Union Home Secretary and as Senior Advisor to the Executive Director of the IMF in Washington, DC, between 2001 and 2005, during a crucial phase of India-IMF relations.
–IANS
janvi/dpb