Gujarat CM Narendra Modi has been chosen as the fDi Personality of the Year for 2009

Narendra Modi,The Chief Minister of Gujarat has been chosen as The Asian Winner of the fDi Personality of the Year awards for 2009 by fDi Magazine, a premier publication and a leading title for the business of globalization.The fDi Personality of the Year awards recognise the political and business leaders around the world who have been the most proactive, dynamic and innovative in securing foreign investment and improving the business environments of their jurisdictions.

Shri Narendra Modi, the Chief Minister of Gujarat now in his third term is better known for his progressive skills in attracting domestic and international investment and for creating a conducive business enviornment for global investors. Last year, Gujarat attracted $2.8bn in FDI, 10.3% of all foreign investment inflows into the country and an increase of 57% on the previous year. His tenure as chief minister has been widely lauded in the Indian media, as Gujarat has seen economic growth of about 10%, year-in year-out, the fastest rate of any state in India.
Sparta Ventures headquartered in Mumbai is the India Partner to fDi and is a investment promotion enterprise engaged in promoting Special Economic zones and State Governments in India attract global investors and subsequent Foreign Direct Investment. Sparta’s Managing Partner Kavan Bhandary said on the occasion “The world today has fully understood the echoes sounded by the Indian business fraternity on Narendra Modi’s leadership skills and his role in the transformation of Gujarat as India’s most progressive and prosperous investment destinations. Political will and his ambitious plans for all round development has bought him global appreciation and international accolades like this one”,he added.

The other regional winners are

GLOBAL WINNER – MIDDLE EAST,Qasim Al Fahadawi ,Governor of Al Anbar province, Iraq
AFRICA: Babatunde Raji Fashola, GOVERNOR OF LAGOS STATE, NIGERIA
EUROPE: Connie Hedegaard, ENERGY MINISTER, DENMARK
LATIN AMERICA: Ivonne Ortega Pacheco,GOVERNOR OF YUCATÁN STATE, MEXICO
NORTH AMERICA: Bobby Jindal, GOVERNOR OF LOUISIANA, US

Born: August 20, 1946

Achievement: One of the founders of Infosys Technologies Limited; Chosen as the World Entrepreneur of the Year – 2003 by Ernst and Young

Narayana Murthy is the Non-Executive Chairman and Chief Mentor of Infosys Technologies Limited. He is a living legend and an epitome of the fact that honesty, transparency, and moral integrity are not at variance with business acumen. He set new standards in corporate governance and morality when he stepped down as the Executive Chairman of Infosys at the age of 60.

Born on August 20, 1946, N.R. Narayana Murthy is a B.E. Electrical from University of Mysore (1967) and M.Tech from IIT Kanpur (1969). Narayan Murthy began his career with Patni Computer Systems in Pune. In 1981, Narayana Murthy founded Infosys with six other software professionals. In 1987, Infosys opened its first international office in U.S.A.

Thanks to the proactive and investor-friendly policy of the Gujarat government, the installed power capacity in the state leapfrogged from 8,079 MW in February 2007 to 10,290 MW in June 2009. This 27% rise in power generation capacity is the highest in the county in the past two years.

Between February 2007 and June 2009, the state increased its power generation capacity by 2,211 megawatt, leaving behind even Maharashtra, the largest producer of electricity in the country. Karnataka stood second with an additional 1,854 mw added during the same period while Tamil Nadu grabbed the third spot by adding 1,667 mw to its capacity.

Central Electricity Authority (CEA) data indicate that Gujarat, which ranks third in power generation, had an installed capacity of 8,079 mw in February 2007. This grew to 10,290 mw by June this year. The state sector’s contribution to power generation stood at 5,701 mw while the private sector generated 4,591 mw. If the central government’s 2,583 mw is taken into consideration, the total installed capacity of the state stands at 12,875 mw.

Korea Land Corporation (KLC), a government of Korea owned organisation, will be set up an Industrial Park/Technology Zone in Valsad district.

This is part of the Gujarat Vittal Innovation City (GVIC) Ltd, a high-tech multi-product special economic zone jointly promoted by the state’s Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC), and the EMPI Vittal Centre INNOPOLIS Consortia, in a strategic area on the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) in Valsad.

A delegation of Korean government, led by Do Youp Kwon, vice minister, ministry of land, transport and maritime affairs of the Republic of Korea, signed a tripartite memorandum of agreement (MoA) with the Gujarat Government, the Korea Land Corporation and the Gujarat Vittal Innovation City Ltd, in the presence of chief minister, Narendra Modi, on Tuesday.

For the first time in the country, the state owned telecom giant BSNL is planning to commercially launch a Videotelephony service over broadband in Ahmedabad from August 15. Apart from video telephony, the service will also include video surveillance and integrated mobile advertising features.

Ahmedabad based Sai Infosystem Ltd(SIS), the third largest IT solution provider in the country is partnering with BSNL for the video telephony service. SIS will be providing a complete technology for video phone alongwith audio as well as video devices and will also install an exchange at BSNL’s premises.