Washington/Gandhnagar: Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel held a roundtable meeting with representatives of the World Bank in Washington, D.C., as part of his week-long US-Canada visit with a Gujarat delegation. The discussions focused on Gujarat’s financial management, sustainable economic growth, GIFT City and the use of artificial intelligence and modern technology in government services.
The Chief Minister also held a one-to-one meeting with Dan Bryant, Executive Vice President, Global Public Policy and Government Affairs at Walmart, where discussions centred on strengthening Gujarat’s MSME sector and creating greater export opportunities for local products and small artisans.
Gujarat Presents Vision for Sustainable Economic Growth
During the roundtable meeting with World Bank representatives, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel presented Gujarat’s broader development vision on the global platform.
He highlighted the state’s focus on:
- Financial discipline and effective fiscal management
- Sustainable economic growth
- Technology-driven governance
- Artificial intelligence in government services
- Development of GIFT City
- Building Gujarat as a future-ready model state
The World Bank representatives appreciated Gujarat’s economic model and its efforts to use technology to improve governance and public service delivery.
Gujarat CM Meets Walmart Executive Dan Bryant
As part of his meetings in Washington, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel met Dan Bryant, Executive Vice President of Global Public Policy and Government Affairs at Walmart.
The meeting focused on Gujarat’s large MSME ecosystem and ways to improve the quality of products while creating greater opportunities for local businesses to access international markets.
The discussions also covered ways to connect Gujarat’s MSMEs, local producers and small artisans with global supply chains.
Walmart’s Vriddhi Programme Has Trained Over 1.15 Lakh MSMEs
During the meeting, Dan Bryant informed the Chief Minister that Walmart’s Vriddhi programme has trained more than 1.15 lakh MSMEs since 2019. Walmart has set a target of training 1.70 lakh MSMEs by 2028 under the programme.
The initiative is aimed at strengthening the capabilities of small and medium enterprises and helping them become better equipped to participate in wider domestic and global markets.
Joint Workshops to Explore MSME Opportunities
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel discussed the possibility of organising joint workshops involving Walmart and relevant departments of the Gujarat government. The proposed workshops would focus on identifying sector-specific potential and strengthening the capabilities of MSMEs across different industries.
The discussions also explored how the Gujarat government and Walmart could work together over the next three to four months to identify potential global opportunities for MSMEs and small artisans.
Roadmap for MSME Global Opportunities at Vibrant Gujarat Summit 2027
The Chief Minister, Dan Bryant and the Gujarat delegation also discussed preparing a clear roadmap for expanding global opportunities for Gujarat’s MSMEs and artisans.
The roadmap could be announced at the upcoming Vibrant Gujarat Summit 2027, providing a platform to showcase the state’s local products and connect businesses with international opportunities.
The collaboration is expected to focus on improving product quality, strengthening competitiveness and facilitating greater integration of Gujarat-based businesses into global supply chains.
Senior Gujarat Officials Attend Meetings
Several senior Gujarat government officials were present during the Chief Minister’s meetings in Washington, D.C.
The delegation included:
- M.K. Das, Chief Secretary, Gujarat
- T. Natarajan, Additional Chief Secretary, Finance Department
- Mamta Verma, Additional Chief Secretary, Industries Department
- Sanjeev Kumar, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister
The meetings formed part of Gujarat’s efforts to strengthen international partnerships, attract investment and expand opportunities for its industries and MSME sector.
