Assocham says Gujarat investment declined 54.5% amid Vibrant claims of Rs 25 lakh crore worth proposals

By A Representative
An analysis put out by one of India’s top corporate bodies, the Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Assocham), has sought to reveal that Gujarat’s industrial investment proposals on year-on-year basis have declined by a whopping 54.5%. The analysis is considered significant, as it seeks to indirectly contrast what happened at the Vibrant Gujarat business summit, where a claim was made that the state had attracted a whopping Rs 25 lakh crore worth of investment proposals, highest ever.
As against Rs 25 lakh crore, Assocham analysis said, during January-September 2014 Gujarat received just about Rs 31,788 crore worth of investment. This is, it added, as against more than double as much -- Rs 69,847 crore – investment received during January-September 2013.
The industry body’s analysis is based on analysis of industrial entrepreneurial memorandums (IEMs), letters of intent (LoIs) and direct industrial licenses (DILs), released by the Government of India’s Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion.
The analysis, significantly, comes amidst Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s effort to strongly showcase Gujarat as the model of development for the country through the Vibrant Gujarat investment summit. Not only Gujarat; India under Modi, Assocham contended a fortnight ago (January 7), has considerably slowed down. Thus, country received investment proposals worth Rs.362,805 crore in January-September 2014, a drop from Rs.451,643 crore in the corresponding period of 2013.
It is not known what made Assocham come up with such a short-period analysis, which is generally not considered advisable for investment proposals. Experts believe, investment proposals may take a stride in a particular year, but may go down in another, depending on the type of projects proposed. Hence, they are not credible. It is advisable to take a longer duration analysis, say of five years, while calculating investments.
Assocham did not stop here. It went ahead by declaring that Chhattisgarh has acquired “lion’s share” of about 45 per cent in the total amount of proposed investments in India, with Rs 1,61,836 crore, during January-September 2014.
This is, it said, nearly 420 per cent over the corresponding period of January-September 2013. “Other states, which registered significant growth in terms of proposed investments, were Punjab (184 per cent), Karnataka (166 per cent), Himachal Pradesh (108 per cent) and Assam (25 per cent)”, it , suggesting Gujarat, on the other hand, registered a decline.
Assocham "analyses" come a week after it officially sharply criticized the Modi Cabinet's decision to peg the reserve price for 900 MHz spectrum above the telecom regulator's recommendation, declaring, “it will not only impact consumers but also affect the government's Digital India initiative.” It wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying the move would impact growth and expansion of quality networks.
"The industry is deeply concerned with the Cabinet's decision to raise the reserve price for 900 MHz spectrum," media reports quoted Assocham as saying. The reserve prices for the proposed auction of spectrum in the 900 MHz band in 18 service areas was increased by the Cabinet by 32.5% over the reserve prices recommended by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India.

Comments

Whither space for the marginalised in Kerala's privately-driven townships after landslides?

By Ipshita Basu, Sudheesh R.C. In the early hours of July 30 2024, a landslide in the Wayanad district of Kerala state, India, killed 400 people. The Punjirimattom, Mundakkai, Vellarimala and Chooralmala villages in the Western Ghats mountain range turned into a dystopian rubble of uprooted trees and debris.

Advocacy group decries 'hyper-centralization' as States’ share of health funds plummets

By A Representative In a major pre-budget mobilization, the Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (JSA), India’s leading public health advocacy network, has issued a sharp critique of the Union government’s health spending and demanded a doubling of the health budget for the upcoming 2026-27 fiscal year.

Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar’s views on religion as Tagore’s saw them

By Harasankar Adhikari Religion has become a visible subject in India’s public discourse, particularly where it intersects with political debate. Recent events, including a mass Gita chanting programme in Kolkata and other incidents involving public expressions of faith, have drawn attention to how religion features in everyday life. These developments have raised questions about the relationship between modern technological progress and traditional religious practice.

Stands 'exposed': Cavalier attitude towards rushed construction of Char Dham project

By Bharat Dogra* The nation heaved a big sigh of relief when the 41 workers trapped in the under-construction Silkyara-Barkot tunnel (Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand) were finally rescued on November 28 after a 17-day rescue effort. All those involved in the rescue effort deserve a big thanks of the entire country. The government deserves appreciation for providing all-round support.

Election bells ringing in Nepal: Can ousted premier Oli return to power?

By Nava Thakuria* Nepal is preparing for a national election necessitated by the collapse of KP Sharma Oli’s government at the height of a Gen Z rebellion (youth uprising) in September 2025. The polls are scheduled for 5 March. The Himalayan nation last conducted a general election in 2022, with the next polls originally due in 2027. However, following the dissolution of Nepal’s lower house of Parliament last year by President Ram Chandra Poudel, the electoral process began under the patronage of an interim government installed on 12 September under the leadership of retired Supreme Court judge Sushila Karki. The Hindu-majority nation of over 29 million people will witness more than 3,400 electoral candidates, including 390 women, representing 68 political parties as well as independents, vying for 165 seats in the 275-member House of Representatives.

Delhi Jal Board under fire as CAG finds 55% groundwater unfit for consumption

By A Representative A Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India audit report tabled in the Delhi Legislative Assembly on 7 January 2026 has revealed alarming lapses in the quality and safety of drinking water supplied by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), raising serious public health concerns for residents of the capital.

Pairing not with law but with perpetrators: Pavlovian response to lynchings in India

By Vikash Narain Rai* Lynch-law owes its name to James Lynch, the legendary Warden of Galway, Ireland, who tried, condemned and executed his own son in 1493 for defrauding and killing strangers. But, today, what kind of a person will justify the lynching for any reason whatsoever? Will perhaps resemble the proverbial ‘wrong man to meet at wrong road at night!’

Zhou Enlai: The enigmatic premier who stabilized chaos—at what cost?

By Harsh Thakor* Zhou Enlai (1898–1976) served as the first Premier of the People's Republic of China (PRC) from 1949 until his death and as Foreign Minister from 1949 to 1958. He played a central role in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for over five decades, contributing to its organization, military efforts, diplomacy, and governance. His tenure spanned key events including the Long March, World War II alliances, the founding of the PRC, the Korean War, and the Cultural Revolution.

Jayanthi Natarajan "never stood by tribals' rights" in MNC Vedanta's move to mine Niyamigiri Hills in Odisha

By A Representative The Odisha Chapter of the Campaign for Survival and Dignity (CSD), which played a vital role in the struggle for the enactment of historic Forest Rights Act, 2006 has blamed former Union environment minister Jaynaynthi Natarjan for failing to play any vital role to defend the tribals' rights in the forest areas during her tenure under the former UPA government. Countering her recent statement that she rejected environmental clearance to Vendanta, the top UK-based NMC, despite tremendous pressure from her colleagues in Cabinet and huge criticism from industry, and the claim that her decision was “upheld by the Supreme Court”, the CSD said this is simply not true, and actually she "disrespected" FRA.

Search This Blog