Uttarakhand Wellness Summit 2020 roadshow held in New Delhi to promote untapped investment opportunities

In a bid to replicate the success and attention received at 'Destination Uttarakhand' in October 2018 and heeding to suggestions from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Uttarakhand State Government initiated a series of investor roadshows as a precursor to the 'Uttarakhand Wellness Summit' planned for April 2020 at Dehradun.

The Delhi-leg of the roadshow was held on February 19, at Hotel The Leela Palace where the keynote address was delivered by Satpal Maharaj, Tourism, Irrigation & Culture Minister of Uttarakhand. The State Government's delegation will head next to Kochi to increase investors' interest.

Earlier, Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat had kicked off the roadshow in Mumbai on February 18.

Addressing the invited guests and the members of the media at the roadshow, Satpal Maharaj said, "I welcome all the dignitaries from the corporate sector, members of the media and my dear friends at this august gathering. It is a matter of pride for me and it gives me immense pleasure to represent Uttarakhand in this roadshow. Uttarakhand has, from time immemorial, been the top choice for ascetics and devotees who are in search of the divine. But now we are also focussing on developing the state as an industrial hub."

He further added, "The primary objective of this roadshow is to shed light on the potential of developing Uttarakhand into a global spiritual economic zone, capitalizing on the Global Wellness Economy (which is) worth $4.2 trillion in 2017 (and is) growing at 6.4% annually. The Uttarakhand State Government will also be organizing National and International Roadshows, Ambassador's Round Table Meet in Rishikesh and a curtain-raiser event in Almora to promote the upcoming summit."

"The Wellness and AYUSH sector has been accorded the status of an industry in order to enable potential investors to avail incentives from the sector agnostic as well as sector-specific policies."

In order to enable Ease of Doing Business, a Single Window Clearance System has been established by the Investor Promotion & Facilitation Centre (IPFC), and a centralized one-stop-shop for investors and businesses has been set up to facilitate interaction with the Government of Uttarakhand for their investment needs.

A detailed presentation on 'Uttarakhand Wellness Summit' was given by the Director General & Commissioner Industries to the Government of Uttarakhand, L. Fanai. A detailed session covering the scope and scale of the 'Wellness Sector in Uttarakhand' was presented by Principal Secretary (Industries) to the Government of Uttarakhand, Manisha Panwar to industry leaders, business owners and entrepreneurs. In her presentation, Panwar apprised them of the abundant opportunities across subsectors pertaining to Nutraceuticals, Organic Food, Natural Fibre, Beauty Products, Wellness Real Estate and such other sectors.

In a presentation on 'Tourism Sector of Uttarakhand' by Secretary, Tourism & CEO, UTDB, Government of Uttarakhand, Dilip Jawalkar shed light on the integration of Wellness Tourism relating to the overall Uttarakhand tourism economy. He also apprised the dignitaries on the role that innovative initiatives such as AYUSH Health Centres/Retreats, Eco-Tourism, Aroma Therapy/Aroma Tourism, Yoga Wellness Tourism will play in the coming years.

The roadshow was concluded with a Q&A session and interaction between the Government representatives and the media.

Ashok Windlass, Vice Chairman, CII Uttarakhand State Council and MD Windlas Biotech Ltd. delivered the concluding remarks. He lauded the Government of Uttarakhand for its initiative and expressed his confidence over the success of 'Uttarakhand Wellness Summit 2020'.

"I congratulate the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Trivendra Singh Rawat and his government for coming up with such an initiative that will integrate various sectors and help the state develop in leaps and bounds. I take this opportunity to thank our chief guest, Satpal Maharaj for representing the State Government and the people of Uttarakhand and revealing the roadmap for the growth and well-being of the hill state. I am convinced about 'Uttarakhand Wellness Summit 2020' by looking at the conviction and dedication of the people involved with this initiative," Windlass signed off.