In a first-of-its-kind initiative, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi has invited country’s five top industrialists to dispel corporate concerns about investing in the Himalayan state troubled by insurgency.

Rahul Gandhi personally talked to the five top industrialists – Ratan Tata of the Tata group, Kumar Manglam Birla (Aditya Birla group), HDFC chairman Deepak Parekh, Rajiv Bajaj of the Bajaj group and Aziz Premji (Wipro).

Many eyebrows were raised among the top industrialists who have missed the Rahul Gandhi bus. Even the associations representing the businessmen and industrialists are surprised about the “Rahul list”.

The Congress general secretary, who will be laying the foundation stone of a tunnel that will connect Kashmir with Ladakh, is in Srinagar for two days, October 4 and 5. The business delegation, which will reach Srinagar separately, is likely to join Gandhi at the Kashmir University campus, where he will be interacting with students.

During his two day visit to the state, Rahul Gandhi would like the students of the state to directly interact with the top industrialists and find solutions to the problem of investment in the state and growth.

It was way back in September last year that Gandhi had promised the students that he would bring a delegation of business leaders to the valley so that they directly convince them about business opportunities in Kashmir.

“The objective is also to create a greater understanding among the students about the economic opportunity that exists in the country from the industry leaders, which might begin to bridge the disconnect that exists,” said an associate of Rahul Gandhi.

After Gandhi’s last visit, the human resource development ministry has drawn up a slew of initiatives for the state.

The home ministry has asked several public sector units and private companies to help in the training of Kashmiri youth under the Udaan programme.