AMN
A B20 meeting titled ‘Conference on opportunities for multilateral business partnerships in tourism, hospitality, pharmaceuticals and organic farming’ was organized at Chintan Bhawan, Gangtok in Sikkim under India’s G20 presidency today. Delivering the keynote address, chief minister PS Tamang said that Sikkim is the core of India that promotes the globalization of locals including indigenous knowledge development practices, gender equality, community partnerships, and zero-carbon climate conservation. He also highlighted the state’s soft power.
Explaining the vast investment opportunities in Sikkim, Mr Tamang stressed that so far, globalization has been limited to localization of globals and this process should be reversed to globalization of locals. Speaking about sector-specific investment requirements, the chief minister highlighted the need for technology to increase organic farming productivity; market connectivity and access; value addition and processing facilities and capacity building and training for the new generation of farmers.
He said that while Sikkim’s tourism industry can be integrated with the process of making the state an education hub, the state’s booming pharmaceuticals sector can be further developed through integration with the traditional medicine system and naturopathy, and setting up of branding and patenting facilities. Speaking about Sikkim’s potential in green investments, he highlighted sectors such as small and mini hydropower, IT and IT-enabled systems, food processing, climate change-resistant farming, fashion design and film shooting.
Officials and representatives from NITI Ayog, External affairs ministry, the G20 Secretariat and the department of industry and internal trade also addressed the meeting. They highlighted various aspects of the B20 and Startup20 events hosted by Sikkim as well as the objectives of India’s G20 presidency amidst global turmoil. India’s developmental approach towards use of technology exemplified in the proliferation of UPI and in COVID19 vaccination, integration of global value chains for MSMEs, bridging the digital divide, women-led development and promotion of green energy were among the key subjects of deliberation. Around 100 delegates pariticpated in the meeting hosted by the Confederation of Indian Industry at Chintan Bhawan in Gangtok today. It was the third of four B20 events scheduled in the Northeast.