Discussions were held and memoranda of understanding were signed during sectoral sessions on real estate, healthcare and manufacturing at the Global Investors Summit-2023 here on Friday.
In the session on real estate, Urban Development and Housing minister Prem Chand Agarwal said that the attraction for Uttarakhand can be gauged from the rising number of people undertaking the Char Dham Yatra which had reached 56 lakh this year. A floating population of about seven crore arrives in Uttarakhand in a year. The minister said that Haridwar-Rishikesh will be redeveloped on the lines of Varanasi in the future. Housing and Urban Affairs ministry economic advisor Dinesh Kapila said that the real estate sector was regulated properly after the RERA Act in 2016 and the trust of people in this sector has increased after that. He stressed on the need for drafting policies which make land affordable and easily available.
Additional chief secretary Anand Bardhan said that the completion of the Delhi-Dehradun economic corridor in the near future will reduce the distance by road between these two cities to two and half hours. Uttarakhand also benefits from having the capital city closest to Delhi-NCR, he said. The State government is making the land pooling rules easier and simplifying housing bylaws, Bardhan added. Various possibilities were also discussed during a panel discussion in the session.
During the session on healthcare, investors assured support to the government’s efforts in expanding quality healthcare services to the distant mountainous regions of the State. MoUs worth Rs 18,500 crore have been signed in the healthcare and pharmaceutical sector in the initial phase of the summit. The government and investors decided that the measures for grounding of the proposed investment should be expedited. Women Empower and Child Development minister Rekha Arya said that special focus is being laid on encouraging participation of the private sector. For the convenience of investors the State government has made customised policies and simplified the rules. The government is according top priority to further improve health services and make them more accessible in the State, she said.
Health and Family Welfare secretary R Rajesh Kumar outlined the investment possibilities in the healthcare and pharmaceutical sector while also informing about the related policies of the State government. The cooperation of the private sector is necessary to meet the quality healthcare demands of a rising population amidst increased awareness on health.
In the session on manufacturing, investors referred to Uttarkahand as an attractive investment destination.
Skill Development and Animal Husbandry minister Saurabh Bahuguna said that the State government has executed various reforms in different sectors and is continuing the process. The government has made amendments according to the times in the old policies and also brought new policies in different sectors based on the suggestions of industrialists and investors. Industries secretary Vinay Shankar Pandey said that the government has introduced 27 new policies in different sectors and made amendments in the old MSME policy in addition to umbrella policy functioning in various sectors. Industrialists and investors shared their experiences and suggestions during the session. They said that Uttarakhand is an attractive destination for investment. They also expressed interest in establishing enterprises especially in the pharmaceutical, automobiles, health and wellness, hospital, Ayurveda, aroma and other sectors in the State.
