Gujarat’s entrepreneurs are bucking the slowdown. Amidst global gloom, more wealth creators ventured out to start companies in 2008-09,

than in the previous year. This stands in contrast to Maharashtra, where the number slipped, though the neighbour may still be far ahead in absolute numbers.

Data available with Union ministry of corporate affairs shows a marginal rise in new companies coming up in Gujarat in last fiscal, while the number slid significantly in Maharashtra.

Good infrastructure has created a conducive investment climate in Gujarat, as these figures suggest. There may also be a reflection here of the fact that Vibrant Gujarat summit in January ’09 focused on small and medium enterprises, prompting a large number of partnership firms to get registered as companies. Over 7,000 small firms inked MoUs during the summit. “Gujarat pioneered the enactment of SEZ law apart from creating good infrastructure. Gujarat and Maharashtra became victims of terror attack during 2008. But, Gujarat was faster in rebuilding confidence in investors,” said Ravindra Dholakia, professor of economics, IIM-A.

The massive exercise to create Brand Gujarat too is paying off. “No state has done such aggressive branding as Gujarat to bring in new investments since 2003. Irrespective of realisation rate of MoUs, $240b investment announcements in a single Vibrant Gujarat event is reflected in the surge of registration,” said Sunil Parekh, advisor CRISIL.

When Hemant Kumar started his IT firm with an overhead of about Rs 30,000, and two employees, including himself, at the end of May last year, he possibly had no idea that the world would face its biggest economic crisis since the Great Depression.

By mid-September, Lehman Brothers had collapsed, and the global meltdown had begun. But less than a month later, his company, Zaptech Solutions, began getting orders for web-designs from the US.

From four employees in the first week of October, Kumar’s small firm has now grown to its present employee strength of 12.

While almost every industry is either stagnating or growing at a snail’s pace, IT Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are growing at a healthy rate in Gujarat.

In the last weekend of June, Gujarat Electronics and Software Industries Association (GESIA) organised a job fair. Thirteen companies and over 7,000 people participated and a number of Gujarat-based SMEs recruited “close to 400” applicants directly, according to Nariv Shah, president of GESIA.

“Some companies could recruit on-the-spot because they have BPO and other back-office jobs to offer, and all they need to know is whether an applicant has strong language skills, which can be done on the spot,” he said.

A high-level delegation of Mizohu Corporate Bank Ltd plans to tie up with its clients in Japan, especially small-and-medium entrepreneurs (SMEs), for the proposed mini-Japan planned in the Dholera special investment region (SIR) as well as Dahej Petroleum, Chemical and Petrochemical Investment Region (PCPIR).

Jun Kuroki, a senior Mizohu executive, met officials of the chief minister’s office on Thursday. One of the largest banks in Japan, Mizohu services nearly 30 per cent of companies in the country.

Kuroki later visited Dahej PCPIR, which has been planned over nearly 36,000 hectares and, like Dholera SIR, forms part of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC). “We look forward to continue interacting more frequently to bring our clients’ requests regarding investment opportunities in Gujarat,” Kuroki said in a thanksgiving letter to the CMO.

A top Modi aide told TOI, “Mizohu representatives told us that there are three groups of SME investors who are interested in investing in India. First are those who operate in India, but wish to expand. The second are those who are in China, but are interested in shifting their operations to India. And thirdly, those who haven’t invested outside Japan and are looking at India. Mizohu executives said Gujarat is its preferred destination.” The official added, “As for mini-Japan in Dholera SIR, they would like to use it for residential purpose and for non-polluting, especially automobile, industries.” Apart from Dholera SIR and Dahej PCPIR, officials said, the Japanese have shown interest in developing Aliabet, a wasteland in the Gulf of Khambhat. A 15,858 sq km island in Narmada estuary, officials said, the Japanese have shown interest in starting different activities, with focus on aquaculture and entertainment. “Still at a planning stage, Gujarat government is working out ways to Aliabet in order to ensure that its fragile ecosystem, unique in Narmada estuary, is not disturbed”, an official said.

This was the second visit of Mizuho representatives to Gujarat after the Vibrant Gujarat investors’ summit in January 2009. During the first visit, which was an exploratory in nature, the its executives conveyed their intention to open office in Ahmedabad.

Rail fares and freight tariffs will not be raised this year in view of the economic recession, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee announced in the Railway Budget 2009-2010 on Friday.

In her budget speech in the Lok Sabha, she said the downturn had “caused much economic burden on the poor”.

Announcing a slew of trains, including 12 non-stop trains between important cities, and the introduction of double-decker air-conditioned coaches, she said passenger amenities will be a priority area for the ministry.

Among other firsts, she said the ministry was examining the possibility of providing a doctor on each long-distance train. She also announced setting up medical centres in important stations.

Banerjee, who let go of the customary leather suitcase for her cloth jhola to bring the budget to the House, said 5,000 post offices will be selected to issue railway tickets. She also lowered the advance booking time for tatkal tickets from five days to two

Here are the highlights:

12 new ‘Duronto’ trains (non-stop):

• New Delhi-Jammu Tawi Non stop (Tri-weekly)
• Howrah-Mumbai (AC) Non stop (Bi-weekly)
• Mumbai-Ahmedabad (AC) Non stop (Tri-weekly)
• Chennai-Delhi Non Stop (Bi-weekly)
• New Delhi-Lucknow Non Stop (Tri-weekly)
• Delhi-Pune (AC) Non Stop (Bi-weekly)
• Howarh-Delhi Non Stop (Bi-weekly)
• New Delhi-Allahabad Non Stop (Tri-weekly)
• Sealdah-New Delhi Non Stop (Bi-weekly)
• Kolkata-Amritsar Non Stop (Bi-weekly)
• Bhubaneswar-Delhi Non Stop (weekly)
• Ernakulam-Delhi Non Stop (weekly)

57 new trains:

• Vishakhapatnam – Secunderabad – Mumbai Superfast (Bi-weekly).
• Sriganga Nagar – Delhi – Nanded Superfast (Weekly)
• New Jalpaiguri – Sealdah Superfast (Tri-weekly)
• Bangalore – Hubli – Solapur Superfast (Tri-weekly)
• Howrah – Bangalore Superfast (weekly)
• Pune – Daund-Solapur Superfast (Daily)
• Ranchi-Howrah (3 days via Ghatshila-Kharagpur and 3 days via Asansol) Intercity (6 days a week)
• Kamakhya-Puri Express (Weekly)
• Jabalpur-Ambikapur Express (Tri-weekly)
• Gandhidham-Howrah Superfast (Weekly)
• Delhi-Sadulpur Express (Tri-weekly)
• Ajmer-Bhopal Express (by intergration of 9655/56 Ajmer-Ratlam and 9303/04 Ratlam- Bhopal express trains) (Daily)
• Bilaspur-Tirunelveli Jn. (Thiruvananthapuram) Superfast (Weekly)
• Mumbai-Karwar Superfast (Tri-weekly)
• Durg-Jaipur Express (Weekly)
• Dibrugarh Town-Chandigarh Express (Weekly)
• Delhi-Farakka Express (Bi-weekly)
• Hazrat Nizmmudin-Bangalore Rajdhani Express (Tri-weekly) via Kacheguda
• New Jalpaiguri-Delhi Express (Bi-weekly) via Barauni
• Mumbai-Varanasi Superfast (Daily)
• Mysore-Yesvantpur Express (Daily)
• Koraput-Rourkela Express (Daily) via Rayagada
• Agra-Ajmer Intercity Superfast (Daily)
• Mumbai-Jodhpur-Bikaner Superfast (Bi-weekly)
• Agra-Lucknow Junction Intercity (Daily)
• Hapa-Tirunelveli Jn. Superfast (Bi-weekly) via Thiruananthapuram
• Gwalior-Bhopal Intercity Express (5 days a week) via Guna
• Kanyakumari-Rameshwaram Express (Tri-weekly) via Madurai
• Howrah-Haridwar Superfast (5 days a week)
• Varanasi-Jammu Tawi Superfast (Daily)
• Gorakhpur-Mumbai Superfast (Daily)
• New Delh-Guwahati Rajdhani Express (Weekly) via Muzaffarpur
• Veraval-Mumbai Link Service (Daily)
• Ranchi-Patna Jan Shatabadi Express (Daily)
• Jhansi-Chhindwara Express (Bi-weekly) via Bina-Bhopal
• Mumbai-Jodhpur Express (Weekly)
• Jamalpur-Gaya Passenger (Daily)
• Jhajha-Patna MEMU (Daily)
• Kanpur-New Delhi Shatabdi Express (6 days a week)
• Bhopal-Lucknow-Pratapgarh Superfast (Weekly)
• Lucknow-Rae Bareli-Bangalore Superfast (Weekly)
• Shimoga-Bangalore Intercity Express (Daily)
• Mdurai-Chennai Express (Bi-weekly)
• Guwahati-New Cooch Behar Express Intercity (Daily)
• Balurghat-New Jalpaiguri Express (Daily) via Kishanganj
• Alipurduar-New Delhi Jalpaiguri Express Intercity (Daily) via Siliguri
• Dharmanagar-Agartala Fast Passenger (Daily)
• Rewari-Phulera Passenger (Daily) via Ringus
• Shoranur-Nilambur Road Passenger (Daily)
• Coimbator-Shoranur Passenger (Daily)
• Mathura-Kasganj Passenger (Daily)
• Farakka-Katwa-Azimganj-Nawadwip Dham Express (Daily)
• Bangalore-Kochuveli Superfast (Weekly)
• Kolkata-Rampurhat Express (Daily)
• New Jalpaiguri-Digha Express (Weekly)
• Purulia-Howrah Express (Bi-weekly)
• Kolkata-Bikaner Express (Weekly) via Nagore

Trains with increased frequency:

• 2685/2686 Chennai-Mangalore from 3 days to daily.
• 2423/2424 New Delhi-Guwahati Rajdhani Express from 5 days to 6 days.
• 2443/2444 New Delhi-Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express from 2 days to 4 days.
• 7091/7092 Secunderabad-Patna from 2 days to daily.
• 2739/2740 Secunderabad-Vishakapatnam Express from 4 days to daily.
• 2111/2112 Amravati-Mumbai Express from 3 days to daily.
• 2957/2958 Ahmedabad-New Delhi Rajdhani Express from 6 days to daily.
• 2149/2150 Pune-Patna Express from 4 days to daily.
• 2487/2488 Jogbani-Delhi Express from 5 days to daily.
• 2823/2824 Nizammudin-Durg Chhatisgarh Sampark Kranti from 2 days to 3 days.
• 2985/2986 Sealdah-Jaipur Express from 2 days to daily.
• 2905/2906 Porbander-Howrah (via Hapa) from 2 days to 3 days.
• 4207/4208 Delhi-Pratapgarh Padmavat Express from 3 days to daily.

Fares:

• No increase in passenger fares
• No hike in freight tariff

Stations to be made world-class:

CST Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Howrah, Sealdah, Bhubaneswar, New Delhi, Lucknow, Varanasi, Amritsar, Kanpur, Guwahati, Jaipur, Chennai Central, Tiruvananthapuram Central, Secunderabad, Tirupati, Bangalore City, Baiyapanahali (Bangalore), Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Habibganj, Gaya Jn., Agra Cantt., Mathura Jn., Chandigarh, Kolkata, New Jalpaiguri, Majerhat, Mangalore, Porbandar, Anand Vihar, Brijwasan, Ajmer Jn., Puri.

Construction of new lines:

• Ghoramara-Dumka of Deogarh-Dumka
• Bishnupur-Gokulnagar of Tarakeshwar-Bishnupur
• Lanjigarh-Bhawanipatna of Lanjigarh-Junagarh
• Quazigund-Anantnag of Udhampr-Baramulla
• Rewari-Jhajjar of Rewari-Rohtak
• Kottur-Harihar
• Churaru Takrala-Amb Andaura of Nangal Dam-Talwara

Amenities:

• Exploring possibility of deputing a doctor in long-distance trains
• Specially-designed coaches for handicapped passengers
• Ambulance facilities in long-distance trains
• Railways to give SMS updates on wait-listed tickets
• Railways to sell tickets from 5,000 post offices
• Book stores, PCOs to be set up across stations
• Toilet facilities for women at stations
• Infotainment services in Rajdhani, Shatabdi
• Hospitals to be developed for railway staff
• Girl child scholarship for Group B Railway employees
• Toilets to be similar to ones in aircraft
• Monthly passes of Rs 25 for people whose income is not more than Rs 1,500 per month
• Super-fast parcel express trains to be started on a pilot basis between Delhi and Chennai, and Delhi and Mumbai
• Press correspondents to get 50% concession
• ATMs on 200 mid- and small-sized stations
• Metro concession in Kolkata to minority students
• Student concession to be extended to madrassa students

Special trains:

• Women’s special trains during peak hours
• New scheme called ‘Izzat’ for low-income monthly travel
• AC double-decker trains to be introduced in intercity trains
• New ‘Yuva’ fully air-conditioned train for youth. Yuva fares Rs 299 up to a distance of 1,500 km and Rs 399 up to 2,500 km

Tatkal:

• Taktal tickets to be now available two days ahead of schedule
• Tatkal fare down from Rs 150 from Rs 100

Others:

• Total working expenditure estimated at Rs 81,685 cr
• 309 out of 375 stations will be developed with modern facilities
• CST Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Howrah, Sealdah to be developed
• 50 stations to be made world-class
• Multi-functional complexes for railway users at stations
• Ticketing services in 200 new towns and cities
• Mega logistics hubs in Eastern and Western corridor
• Launch of premium parcel service between three stations
• A new coach factory to be set up in Kanchrapara in Bengal
• Increase number of women commandos in key routes
• 49 stations of religious importance to be upgraded
• New policy to allow private freight terminal
• Railways to lease out land for commercial purposes
• Railway medical colleges to be developed along with rail hospitals on public-private partnership
• State-of-art new coach factory to be set-up Kanchrapara, West Bengal
• Better representation to be given to minorities, women and the economically-backward
• New policy to be launched for construction and operation of private freight terminals
• Cold storages and cargo facilities to eliminate wastage of perishables