- Minister of State for Co-operation and MSME Industries, Jagdish Vishwakarma, emphasises the critical importance of addressing industry challenges through enhanced communication and tailored educational initiatives
- Unless Gujarat becomes developed, Viksit Bharat will not be easy: Kulin Lalbhai, newly elected Chairman of CII Gujarat State Council & Executive Director, Arvind
- Prof Pradyumna Vyas, Senior Advisor at CII and President-elect of World Design Organisation, highlights the crucial role of design in product differentiation, market expansion and innovation
NE BUSINESS BUREAU
AHMEDABAD, MARCH 16
The second day of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Gujarat State Council’s Annual Meeting centred around the significance of design in realising Viksit Gujarat. The event brought together industry leaders, policymakers, and experts to deliberate on strategies to propel Gujarat towards becoming a hub of innovation and development.
In his address, Chief Guest and Minister of State for Co-operation and MSME Industries, Jagdish Vishwakarma, emphasised the critical importance of addressing industry challenges through enhanced communication and tailored educational initiatives.
“There is a need to deal with the problems industries are facing, to develop courses that help in creating the skilled workforce the industry needs. There is a need to provide exposure to students through field visits,” the minister said.
He also stressed the need for increasing the spend on research and development and lauded CII Gujarat State Council for its proactive approach in spotlighting design.
Kulin Lalbhai, newly elected Chairman of CII Gujarat State Council & Executive Director, Arvind, underscored the key role of design in Gujarat’s journey towards prosperity.
“Gujarat is the key state that is going to power the country. Unless Gujarat becomes developed, Viksit Bharat will not be easy. Our strength is manufacturing. As we move ahead we need to focus not only on efficiency and scale but also move higher up the chain in value addition,” he said, adding that Gujarat can leverage the presence of the best design institutes and a strong manufacturing base.
Premraj Keshyep, Vice Chairman of CII Gujarat State Council, emphasised the intrinsic link between design and progress. He traced the evolution of design throughout history and spoke about its indispensable role in shaping the future of Gujarat and India.
In his welcome address, Prof Pradyumna Vyas, Senior Advisor at CII and President-elect of World Design Organisation, spoke about the need to integrate design into developmental processes. He highlighted the crucial role of design in product differentiation, market expansion and innovation.
Darshan Shah, Immediate Past Chairman, CII Gujarat State Council & Managing Director, Hitachi Hi-Rel Power Electronics, urged designers and manufacturers to have global aspirations and integrating design to gain competitive advantage.
Speaking at the session, Ritesh Hada, President of Karnavati University, stressed the need for integrating Indian knowledge system into education to prepare students for future challenges.
The second day of the annual meeting also witnessed top CEOs, including Bharat Kaushal, Managing Director, Hitachi India;, Kulin Lalbhai, Executive Director, Arvind; Rajiv Kumar Gupta, President, PB Fintech, and Sudhir Vaid, CMD, Concord Biotech sharing their views on Gujarat’s industrial landscape.
The session on digital evolution in transformation featured Rohan Shah, Founder & CEO,Hedweeg Innovations, Chinmay Bhuta, Director, Alps Chemicals, Jalay Pandya, Founding Partner & Director, Faber Infinite Solutions, Minesh Doshi, Director, Silver Touch Technologies, and Parth Doshi, Managing Partner, Boron Rubbers India.The final session saw insightful discussion between Ankit Vyas, Founder & Director, Oizom, Bhavin Dabhi, Creative Director Universal Designovtion Lab, Karthik Bakeri, Partner, Suveg Electronics, and Nagesh Gupte, Partner, Epsilon Engineering on MSMEs in design.
The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Gujarat State Council’s Annual Meeting for 2024 served as a platform to align the state’s aspirations with the national vision set forth by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aiming for a Viksit Bharat (developed India) by 2047. The first day of the annual meeting also saw the participation of dignitaries such as US Consul General Mike Hankey, Ireland’s Consul General Anita Kelly.
