Chhattisgarh new capital, Naya Raipur is aimed to be a next Generation Technology Hub.
CM Raman Singh says on the sidelines of the Global Investors Meet that  “IT will be our sunrise industry. In Bangalore, Pune and other cities, there has been a saturation in the IT industry. We have the talent. The IT industry will shift here,”.
The Chhattisgarh government is developing the city spread over 8,000 hectares.
Raman Singh has invited investors to set up industries in Chhattisgarh assuring them 24-hour power supply.
“In other states, electricity is cut for hours. But in Chhattisgarh we will provide 24 hours electricity not just now but for the coming 30 years,” he said.
“Presently, we are generating 15,000 megawatts of power. By the end of the 12th Plan (in 2017), we will have an additional capacity of 30,000 mw.
“When the northern grid failed, the so-called developed states were under darkness while Chhattisgarh was illuminated,” he said.
Other Industrial Segments were also keen to invest in Chhattisgarh, calling it a land of opportunity.
Speaking on the first day of the two-day Global Investors Meet (GIM) being held in Naya Raipur, the new capital of this mineral-rich state, industrialists and top corporate executives heaped praise on Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh.
Among the key figures at the meet were Anil Agarwal of metal and mining major Vedanta Resources Plc, Naveen Jindal of Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL), Prashant Ruia of the Essar Group, G.M. Rao of infrastructure major GMR Group, C.S. Verma of SAIL, R.S. Goenka of Emami Group, Rajesh Adani of Adani Group, Arup Roy Choudhary of NTPC, Ramesh Agrawal of Dainik Bhaskar Group and Sandeep Jajodia of Monnet Group.
Ambassadors of several countries and US Consul General Peter Haas also attended the summit.
“Chhattisgarh is a land of opportunity, it has huge investment potential and the state is on the fast track of development,” Anil Agarwal said in a brief speech.
Naveen Jindal said the investors’ meet was “an incredible event for credible Chhattisgarh”.
“We have already invested Rs.25,000 crore in the state. We will bring in another Rs.50,000 crore,” Jindal said.
GMR Group chief G.M. Rao whose company’s energy wing is setting up a 1370-MW coal-based power plant in Raipur district, said the state was a wonderful place for investment and an infrastructure build-up was necessary.
SAIL chairman C.S. Verma described the investors meet “an august gathering in a new city”.
Raman Singh, who has been the state’s chief minister since Dec 2003, said: “We have a better atmosphere for business persons, the state needs investment in information technology, urban infrastructure, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, engineering and auto, renewable energy, tourism and healthcare, agro and food processing and minor forest produces.
In his inaugural speech, Chief Secretary Sunil Kumar said: “Chhattisgarh is clogging double-digit growth rate for years and we are looking investment in non-core and downstream sectors”.
Wish there could have been some progress on the field of IT sector as well, as this has been the most promising and up lifting service sector for every state which is now in frontline when we talk about prosperity and growth.
Though I keep hearing and listening on IT SEZ am not sure as to what are the plans to get the investors think Raipur as future options and do they really find the talent, potential, infrastructure and basis amenities to perform well in the new born city capital.
With all that I see and read would like to congratulate CG on this fast grwoth, wishing you good luck and keep progressing.