Vibrant Gujarat, the biannual gathering organised by Gujarat, will go beyond pitching for investments and will provide a forum to explore trade and export opportunities. The ninth edition of the event will take place on January 18-20 at Gandhinagar. Its theme is 'Shaping a New India'.

“Gujarat is a land of opportunities. With Vibrant Gujarat, the state is building the foundation for a new India,” chief minister Vijay Rupani said at a curtain-raiser event in New Delhi on Friday.

The first Vibrant Gujarat was held in Ahmedabad in January 2003, when Narendra Modi, then chief minister, wanted to consolidated the state’s industry-friendly image, and attract fresh investments. It was to emerge as a case study in successful branding – not only for the event itself but also for the Modi government. It was held again in 2005, and was made a biannual feature. To host it, a world-class convention centre, called Mahatma Mandir, was developed in the state capital.

Over the years, it made headlines for the astronomical sums pledged there by investors, even if there was muted criticism for only a fraction of it realising into actual investments. Still, it has been the premier event of its kind in India.

As Ramesh Abhishek, secretary, department of industrial policy and promotion, said, “Vibrant Gujarat is the mother of all investment promotion events in the country,” providing a prototype to many other states.

The reason is obvious: Making a brief presentation on the coming event, MK Das, Gujarat’s principal secretary (industries & mines), said, “We are the fastest growing state in the fastest growing economy.”

Among other new features of the next edition, a shopping festival – on the lines of Dubai Shopping Festival – will be held in Ahmedabad on the same dates.