At B20, Sikkim pitches for investment in its organic products

PRAKASH ADHIKARI and SUJAL PRADHAN, EOI, GANGTOK, MARCH 16, 2023 : At the plenary session of B20 conference in Gangtok on Thursday, Sikkim pitched for investment in green technology, market access, value addition and research and capacity building for its organic products.

Delegates from 22 countries with 53overseas participants were in Sikkim to attend the conference.

More than 100 delegates also participated in the conference. Labouring on the theme of‘ Tourism, Hospitality, Pharmaceuticals and Orgnic Farming,’ Chief Minister of Sikkim Prem Singh Tamang in his keynote address in the inaugural session said with a Sustainable Development Index score of 71, Sikkim was the highest among the states in India and had been successful in creating sustainable livelihood through pro-people policies. He said Sikkim had been recognized as the first organic state in the country with a booming tourism potential which could be leveraged by the global community. 

Dwelling on organic farming as the USP of Sikkim, he stressed on the need for value addition and processing facilities within the state and creating an organic niche in cardamom, ginger, turmeric, chillies, buckwheat, millets, tea and traditional herbs. He said there was an acute need for green technology, market connectivity for farmers and building capacities among the new generation of farmers to train them on newer methods of organic farming. 

There was a need for institutions that dealt with meaning, research and experimentation, productivity enhancement processing, marketing and making other sectors follow the organic culture. The Chief Minister sought the support of the delegates in investing in these areas to consolidate and sustain organic farming and spread the concept of the initiative in other areas of India and abroad. Dwelling on the investment potential in the pharmaceutical sector in the State, he said Sikkim had over 55 pharmaceutical units that represented some of the most widely known companies in India. 

The State Government had plans to commercially establish horizontal and vertical integer at in of rich traditional medicinal systems with the global market. He also touched upon climate change-related activities that included green energy, small and mini hydro projects, zero carbon ventures, IT and IT-enabled services, disaster forecast and management, climate change resistant agriculture, information and digital handling, that would not incur large investments and could be mostly managed as micro, small and medium enterprises. 

The Chief Minister also spoke on other areas of investments and business opportunities like waste management, food processing, handicraft and cottage industries, infrastructure, real estate, fashion designing, films, and textile designs. Chief Secretary of Sikkim V. B. Pathak outlined the potentials of Sikkim in the sectors of organic farming, tourism, pharmaceuticals and hospitality. 

He said the State had entered into a joint venture with a private player in organic farming, Pathak underscored that the State had come out with investment friendly policies on tourism to attract tourists, especially eco-tourism and adventure tourism .B 20 is one of the most prominent groups amongst various engagement groups with companies and business forums, representing the global business community. It aims to deliver concrete actionable policy recommendations on priorities by each rotating presidence  to spur economic growth and development.