Rajasthan :
The timing couldn’t have been more coincidental. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held their first bilateral meeting in five years on Wednesday, where they underscored that a “stable, predictable and amicable” bilateral relationship between New Delhi and Beijing is important — a refreshing break since the Galwan days. On the other hand, a Lutyens Star in Modi 1.0, who held two crucial portfolios separately — Information and Broadcasting as well as Sports — is now back in Rajasthan as a Cabinet Minister of some meaty portfolios like commerce, where his long-term goal is rather ambitious — match the economic might of China. Col Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore would smile and ask, “Why not?”
“China is already out there. But today we talk about China plus one. Who will be that one? My goal, our goal is to make Rajasthan that entity matching China. Rajasthan is no less than a country and has the expertise, human resources and wherewithal to beat Vietnam, Bangladesh or other similar countries. That is my limited point,” Rathore told News18. One thing he is very clear about is that Rajasthan is not competing with other states.
But what about specifics? Right now, Rajasthan economy’s size is a little above Rs 15 lakh crore. Rathore wants to double it to Rs 30 lakh crore, which eventually needs a hunger to match the scale of China.
The upcoming Rising Rajasthan has been packaged and marketed much like Vibrant Gujarat but on a much smaller scale. But the discipline is intriguing. Not only has a young Chief Minister toyed with the idea in his very first year of governance, but there has been a well-orchestrated global outreach before the main event in December this year.
“What sets Rising Rajasthan apart is the thrust on communication. We have deputed 23 IAS officers for 23 countries for the next 5 years as points of contact for ease of doing business. We have deputed one RAS (Rajasthan Administrative Service) officer each for every state of India as a communication officer for business investment purposes,” he said.
During the three-day event, one day will be dedicated for non-resident Rajasthanis. The Rajasthan government has already created 21 investment policies, such as a textile park or land aggregation policy.
A state that was so used to the ‘revdi’ culture of free mobiles, free ration kits, free electricity and the Chiranjeevi scheme, is now getting used to a new way of expenditure. In her budget this year, Rajasthan Finance Minister Diya Kumari, committed to making the state a $350 billion economy as part of the action plan for ‘Developed Rajasthan @ 2047’, which comprises 10 resolutions. The commitments included investment promotion.
China or no China, how does life away from Lutyens Delhi feel like? When asked if he missed Delhi, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore broke into laughter before carefully choosing his words, “It was a privilege for me to spend 10 years in Delhi. I would often interact with friends in the media there who I would find intellectually stimulating, which I miss. But coming to the state has been a great deal of administrative and political education for me.”
‘Why Not’: Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore Sets Eye On Matching Rajasthan With China
Right now, Rajasthan economy’s size is a little above Rs 15 lakh crore. Rathore wants to double it to Rs 30 lakh crore.
The timing couldn’t have been more coincidental. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held their first bilateral meeting in five years on Wednesday, where they underscored that a “stable, predictable and amicable” bilateral relationship between New Delhi and Beijing is important — a refreshing break since the Galwan days. On the other hand, a Lutyens Star in Modi 1.0, who held two crucial portfolios separately — Information and Broadcasting as well as Sports — is now back in Rajasthan as a Cabinet Minister of some meaty portfolios like commerce, where his long-term goal is rather ambitious — match the economic might of China. Col Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore would smile and ask, “Why not?”
“China is already out there. But today we talk about China plus one. Who will be that one? My goal, our goal is to make Rajasthan that entity matching China. Rajasthan is no less than a country and has the expertise, human resources and wherewithal to beat Vietnam, Bangladesh or other similar countries. That is my limited point,” Rathore told News18. One thing he is very clear about is that Rajasthan is not competing with other states.
But what about specifics? Right now, Rajasthan economy’s size is a little above Rs 15 lakh crore. Rathore wants to double it to Rs 30 lakh crore, which eventually needs a hunger to match the scale of China.
The upcoming Rising Rajasthan has been packaged and marketed much like Vibrant Gujarat but on a much smaller scale. But the discipline is intriguing. Not only has a young Chief Minister toyed with the idea in his very first year of governance, but there has been a well-orchestrated global outreach before the main event in December this year.
“What sets Rising Rajasthan apart is the thrust on communication. We have deputed 23 IAS officers for 23 countries for the next 5 years as points of contact for ease of doing business. We have deputed one RAS (Rajasthan Administrative Service) officer each for every state of India as a communication officer for business investment purposes,” he said.
During the three-day event, one day will be dedicated for non-resident Rajasthanis. The Rajasthan government has already created 21 investment policies, such as a textile park or land aggregation policy.
A state that was so used to the ‘revdi’ culture of free mobiles, free ration kits, free electricity and the Chiranjeevi scheme, is now getting used to a new way of expenditure. In her budget this year, Rajasthan Finance Minister Diya Kumari, committed to making the state a $350 billion economy as part of the action plan for ‘Developed Rajasthan @ 2047’, which comprises 10 resolutions. The commitments included investment promotion.
China or no China, how does life away from Lutyens Delhi feel like? When asked if he missed Delhi, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore broke into laughter before carefully choosing his words, “It was a privilege for me to spend 10 years in Delhi. I would often interact with friends in the media there who I would find intellectually stimulating, which I miss. But coming to the state has been a great deal of administrative and political education for me.”
