Pravasi Bharatiya Divas: Puducherry, Assam catch attention of NRIs

BENGALURU: Two small states — Puducherry and Assam — caught the attention of non-resident Indians ( NRIs) at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas here, after their chief ministers V Narayanaswamy and Sarbananda Sonowal made impassioned pitches for investment.

Narayanaswamy took potshots at the bigger states seeking investments. He said: “The CMs of bigger states will have a lot of work and administration to do, but a smaller state like ours will give you time and all the facilities.”

He even took a potshot at fellow Congress CM and host Siddaramaiah from Karnataka who is under fire for attacks on women in Bengaluru. “The most important assurance I can give compared to other CMs is that we are maintaining law and order situation in the state. This is the plus point I have, compared to all other CMs here.”

Siddaramaiah clarified that his government had prioritised women’s safety. He explained the thriving industrial and startup climate and ecosystem in Karnataka, which was followed up with one-on-one meetings with investors held by Large and Medium Industries Minister RV Deshpande. Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis spoke of the thrust on infrastructure in Mumbai and the Mumbai-Nagpur highway.

Karnataka currently tops FDI investment in the country, followed by Maharashtra. The delegates, however, thronged the cabins of Narayanaswamy and Sonowal to explore options. Puducherry Industries Secretary Arun Desai told ET: “It was the CM’s speech which has made the impact. We are getting inquiries in food processing, agriculture, fisheries and healthcare.”