Toronto, Aug 24 (IANS) Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel arrived in Toronto on Monday with a state delegation, beginning the Canada leg of an overseas outreach aimed at attracting investment and strengthening participation in the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2027.
Patel and the delegation, which arrived after engagements in the United States, received a traditional welcome at Toronto airport from members of the Gujarati community and the Consulate General of India.
He later addressed a gathering hosted by Friends of Gujarat-Canada, where he urged Gujarati entrepreneurs in Canada to invest in the state and contribute to it, to which they remain connected through their roots.
“The community carries the culture and spirit of Gujarat wherever it settles,” he said. He also highlighted the community’s contribution to Canada’s economic growth.
Recalling Gujarat’s formation as a separate state in 1960, the Chief Minister said the state had faced shortages of basic infrastructure, including roads, village electricity and water, in its early years.
“Gujarat had subsequently overcome these challenges and emerged as a key growth engine for India after two decades of development under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he emphasised.
He noted that Gujarat’s development had been driven by an ambitious and development-oriented vision and that the state had made significant progress across sectors.
“Gujaratis can take pride in the fact that Modi, who comes from the state, had received the highest honours in countries he had visited as Prime Minister,” he said.
Patel said the Indian passport had gained greater recognition globally and that perceptions of Indians and Gujaratis had changed significantly.
Highlighting Gujarat’s industrial and investment landscape, Patel said development had become closely associated with the state.
“Six semiconductor plants have been established in Gujarat, and the Vibrant Gujarat Summit is helping attract growing investment to the state,” he said.
He invited members of the Gujarati community in Canada to participate in the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2027 and encouraged entrepreneurs to explore investment opportunities in the state.
Patel’s Canada visit follows his engagements in San Francisco, Washington, DC, New York and New Jersey, where he met investors, industry representatives, technology leaders and members of the Gujarati diaspora as part of the state’s preparations for the 2027 summit.
Chief Secretary M.K. Das, Additional Chief Secretaries Dr T. Natarajan and Mamta Verma, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Sanjeev Kumar, Principal Secretary Rajendra Kumar and Additional Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Dr Vikrant Pandey were among those accompanying the delegation, along with other members of the state delegation and representatives of Friends of Gujarat-Canada.
–IANS
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