NEW DELHI, 6 September 2017
If we take agricultural growth rate to 50% with the support of irrigation, the rural economy will be boosted, emphasized Shri Nitin Jairam Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport, Highways, Shipping; Water Resources, River Development, and Ganga Rejuvenation at the special plenary 12th Sustainability Summit, organised by CII-ITC Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development, in Delhi. Like powergrid, India can also have watergrid connectivity to ensure water available to the last person. Expressing his happiness at being given charge of the water ministry, he explained the benefits of conversion of waste into wealth by citing examples of using recycled waste water.
The 12th Sustainability Summit, an annual flagship event of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), is focused on ‘Driving Inclusive Growth’ and on the collective journey of stakeholders in achieving SDGs by 2030. The UN had adopted 17 Global Goals or Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in September 2015, in New York. As we move from pledges to practice, the 2030 development goals and targets show us the path to achieving inclusive and sustainable development. Business has important and definitive role to play in achieving SDGs.
The special plenary at the 12th Sustainability Summit 2017 was jointly addressed byShri Nitin Jairam Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways; Minister of Shipping; and Minister of Water Resources, River Development, and Ganga RejuvenationGovernment of India; Mr Sanjiv Puri, CEO and Executive Director, ITC Limited andMr Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, Confederation of Indian Industry.
Acknowledging initiatives taken by the ministry, especially the ‘Green Highways’ project that has been successful in creating sustainable livelihoods, Mr Sanjiv Puri, Chief Operating Officer, ITC Limited added ITC’s contribution towards this project. Stressing on the need to boost agriculture, he mentioned that it is a resource-intensive sector supported by our government but at present there is a need to align agriculture and market demands to commensurate yield with income of the farmers.
Director General, Confederation of Indian Industry, Mr Chandrajit Banerjee, appreciated Shri Gadkari’s dynamic stewardship for innovative initiatives such as use of waste material for road construction to reduce costs and improve quality. He reiterated CII CESD’s commitment in its role of an all-inclusive ecosystem player in upgrading business in India to sustainable competitiveness.
