Gujarat Tops Business Reform Rankings Amid National Growth Push

The announcement came during the third session of the 'Atal Smaran Lecture Series', organised by the Sardar Patel Institute of Public Administration (SPIPA) in collaboration with the Secretariat under the General Administration Department's Administrative Reforms and Training Division at SPIPA's Gandhinagar campus.

The session, held on the theme "Developed Gujarat for a Developed India - The Governance Imperative", saw insightful discussions aligned with the Viksit Bharat@2047 vision. Delivering the keynote address, NITI Aayog Member and former Cabinet Secretary to the Government of India, Rajiv Gauba, highlighted Gujarat's pioneering role in governance, reforms, and business facilitation.

Gauba praised Gujarat's contribution to the national growth story, saying, "Gujarat has consistently remained a leader not just in industrial development but also in governance reforms. Inspired by the Central government's strategic vision, Gujarat was the first state to establish the Gujarat State Institution for Transformation (GRIT) -- a state-level body modelled on NITI Aayog."

Citing data from the CAG Report 2023, Gauba pointed out that Gujarat houses 101 Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) and ranks third nationally in attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). He also highlighted the state's distinction as the host of India's first commercial semiconductor fabrication facility and the country's first private aircraft manufacturing initiative, underscoring Gujarat's continued excellence in business reform implementation.

Further elaborating on recent initiatives, Gauba mentioned the state's newly introduced Global Capability Centre (GCC) Policy, which aims to attract 250 new GCCs, mobilise Rs 10,000 crore in investments, and generate a large number of skilled jobs through capital subsidies and other incentives. "With the longest coastline in India, Gujarat is strategically positioned for port-led development -- an essential pillar in building a Viksit Bharat 2047," he added.

Senior dignitaries, including Dr Jayanti Ravi (Additional Chief Secretary, Revenue Department), Harit Shukla (Principal Secretary, General Administration Department), Ardra Agarwal (Planning Secretary), Mihir Wadekar (OSD, NITI Aayog), and former Chief Secretary J.N. Singh, were present at the event, along with SPIPA officials, faculty members, and students. The 'Atal Smaran Lecture Series', organised throughout the year to commemorate the 100th birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, aims to inspire governance excellence and visionary leadership among public administrators. This was the third session in the series.

A 1982-batch IAS officer from the Jharkhand cadre, Gauba served as Cabinet Secretary from August 2019 to August 2024 -- the longest tenure in the post. His leadership was instrumental in national preparedness during the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as in advancing key reforms such as Ease of Doing Business. Before becoming Cabinet Secretary, he also served as Union Home Secretary and, between 2001 and 2005, as Senior Adviser to the Executive Director of the IMF in Washington, D.C., during a critical phase in India-IMF relations.

- IANS