Gehlot govt announces CISF-like force for industry, investment promo schemes

Jaipur: The Rajasthan government has extended exemption to new micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) from approvals and inspections under any state law for another two years and a security force on the lines of CISF (Central Industrial Security Force) would be set up to provide safe environment to industrial units, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said here on Friday while inaugurating the Invest Rajasthan summit.
Rajasthan Investment Promotion Scheme (RIPS) 2022 was launched by the Chief Minister during the inaugural session of the flagship event.
An official statement said that RIPS 2022 is highly competitive and has a special focus on promoting green initiatives, inclusive development, employment generation and future technologies across the State.
“On many aspects, Rajasthan is becoming a model state in the country and that is a good signal for all of us,” he said while noting that the state government ha signed MoUs and LoIs worth about Rs 11 lakh crore.

While the energy sector witnessed bulk of the MoUs for investments in the state, the other key sectors which garnered investor interests included cement, mines & minerals, medical & health, textiles, tourism and petroleum & natural gas.
Gehlot said that signing of the MoUs for Rs 11 lakh crore is a good sign but pointed out that they all may not be implemented on ground though he hoped for a better outcome considering the advance work the government has done.
He said that the work done by the government had helped the state increase its GDP (gross domestic product) by Rs 3 lakh crore in the past three years and the state’s GDP is now Rs 12 lakh crore.
“Rajasthan government is providing all the facilities to the investors. Our policies are investor friendly; we have a customized package and there is no dearth of basic amenities,” Gehlot said.
The Chief Minister said that the state had progressed in the field of power generation, like no one else.
“We had set up a 2-4 MW solar power plant when I first became the Chief Minister. Today, we have crossed the 4,000 MW landmark,” he stated.
Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani, Vedanta Group Chief Anil Agarwal, Tata Power CEO & MD Praveer Sinha and Mahindra & Mahindra MD & CEO Anish Shah were among the top industry captains who attended the event. Many industry groups committed to fresh investments in the state.
As he urged industrialists to put their money in the state to boost industrial growth, Gehlot in a lighter vein advised Vedanta’s Agarwal to consider shifting the group’s Rs 1.60 lakh crore proposed semiconductor plant to Rajasthan from Gujarat as Maharashtra was miffed over losing the investment to the rival coastal state.
Gehlot said that the state has extended industry status to the tourism sector to promote the industry.
He highlighted that many business houses in the country have their roots in Rajasthan and they are working towards strengthening the economy.
Speaking during the inaugural session of the Invest Rajasthan, Gautam Adani said that Adani Group has already invested over Rs 35,000 crore across multiple industrial sectors in the state of Rajasthan.
“Combining all ongoing and future investments, we anticipate investing an additional Rs 65,000 crore in Rajasthan over the next 5 to 7 years and creating over 40,000 direct and indirect jobs,” Adani said.
He also recalled how Gehlot in his earlier term helped the Group set up a power unit in the shortest possible time by directing administration to identify and allocate land, water and other clearances.
Participating in the summit, Tata Power CEO & MD Praveer Sinha said that the company plans to have a renewable power portfolio of 10,000 MW in the state in next five years. (UNI)