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

Grueling summer ahead: Cuttack’s alarming health trends and what they mean for Odisha

By Sudhansu R Das The preparation to face the summer should begin early in Odisha. People in the state endure long, grueling summer months starting from mid-February and extending until the end of October. This prolonged heat adversely affects productivity, causes deaths and diseases, and impacts agriculture, tourism and the unorganized sector. The social, economic and cultural life of the state remains severely disrupted during the peak heat months.

Stronger India–Russia partnership highlights a missed energy breakthrough

By N.S. Venkataraman* The recent visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to India was widely publicized across several countries and has attracted significant global attention. The warmth with which Mr. Putin was received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was particularly noted, prompting policy planners worldwide to examine the implications of this cordial relationship for the global economy and political climate. India–Russia relations have stood on a strong foundation for decades and have consistently withstood geopolitical shifts. This is in marked contrast to India’s ties with the United States, which have experienced fluctuations under different U.S. administrations.

From natural farming to fair prices: Young entrepreneurs show a new path

By Bharat Dogra There have been frequent debates on agro-business companies not showing adequate concern for the livelihoods of small farmers. Farmers’ unions have often protested—generally with good reason—that while they do not receive fair returns despite high risks and hard work, corporate interests that merely process the crops produced by farmers earn disproportionately high profits. Hence, there is a growing demand for alternative models of agro-business development that demonstrate genuine commitment to protecting farmer livelihoods.

The Vande Mataram debate and the politics of manufactured controversy

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The recent Vande Mataram debate in Parliament was never meant to foster genuine dialogue. Each political party spoke past the other, addressing its own constituency, ensuring that clips went viral rather than contributing to meaningful deliberation. The objective was clear: to construct a Hindutva narrative ahead of the Bengal elections. Predictably, the Lok Sabha will likely expunge the opposition’s “controversial” remarks while retaining blatant inaccuracies voiced by ministers and ruling-party members. The BJP has mastered the art of inserting distortions into parliamentary records to provide them with a veneer of historical legitimacy.

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

The cost of being Indian: How inequality and market logic redefine rights

By Vikas Gupta We, the people of India, are engaged in a daily tryst—read: struggle—for basic human rights. For the seemingly well-to-do, the wish list includes constant water supply, clean air, safe roads, punctual public transportation, and crime-free neighbourhoods. For those further down the ladder, the struggle is starker: food that fills the stomach, water that doesn’t sicken, medicines that don’t kill, houses that don’t flood, habitats at safe distances from polluted streams or garbage piles, and exploitation-free environments in the public institutions they are compelled to navigate.

Why India must urgently strengthen its policies for an ageing population

By Bharat Dogra A quiet but far-reaching demographic transformation is reshaping much of the world. As life expectancy rises and birth rates fall, societies are witnessing a rapid increase in the proportion of older people. This shift has profound implications for public policy, and the need to strengthen frameworks for healthy and secure ageing has never been more urgent. India is among the countries where these pressures will intensify most sharply in the coming decades.

Thota Sitaramaiah: An internal pillar of an underground organisation

By Harsh Thakor* Thota Sitaramaiah was regarded within his circles as an example of the many individuals whose work in various underground movements remained largely unknown to the wider public. While some leaders become visible through organisational roles or media attention, many others contribute quietly, without public recognition. Sitaramaiah was considered one such figure. He passed away on December 8, 2025, at the age of 65.

Proposals for Babri Masjid, Ram Temple spark fears of polarisation before West Bengal polls

By A Representative A political debate has emerged in West Bengal following recent announcements about plans for new religious structures in Murshidabad district, including a proposed mosque to be named Babri Masjid and a separate announcement by a BJP leader regarding the construction of a Ram temple in another location within Behrampur.

Search This Blog