Business Portal of India : Opportunities for Overseas Indians : Governing Framework at State Level : Organisational Set up

At the State/ Union Territory (UT) level, there are Department of Industries and/or Industrial Development Corporation or related agencies which deals with various facets of industrial development and investment scenario in respective States/ UTs. They provide vital guidelines to the investors worldwide regarding the business opportunities in the States, availability of financial assistance for new entrepreneurs, etc. They are actively involved in undertaking several promotional activities so as to attract overseas Indians, that is, Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs), into the States/ UTs in terms of investments, setting up industrial units, etc. Some of such Departments or agencies include:-

State-wise initiatives taken at Organisational set up level for some of the States:-

1. Gujarat - There is a NRI Division set up by the Government of Gujarat with a view to establish effective communication with Non Resident Indians of Gujarati origin in various parts of the world. The main objectives of the Division are to:-

prepare and maintain a comprehensive database about NRIs of Gujarati origin.
study from time to time social and cultural issues of NRI of Gujarati origin and take steps to formulate schemes for meeting their requirements.
take effective steps to survey and assess the technical and professional skills of NRIs and to dovetail the same in the developmental efforts of the State.
create a database on Non Resident Gujaratis (NRGs), highlighting the professional areas of interest.
enable Government of Gujarat and its agencies to communicate with NRGs with relevant interest.
facilitate Government of Gujarat to initiate steps to address the specific needs of NRGs in different fields.
tap the technological, managerial and financial resources of the NRI so as to upgrade the technical and professional skills and the human resources of the State, for the economic and industrial development of the State.
channelise the savings and surplus financial resources of the NRIs in to the developmental efforts of the State for mutual benefits.
monitor the general welfare of the NRI and, in times of crisis, identify specific problems of Gujarati Non Resident Indians groups and take up the same with and through Government of India.

In order to facilitate the achievement of above objectives, the Government have in addition set up the 'Gujarat State Non-Resident Gujaratis' Foundation (NRGF)'.

2. Madhya Pradesh - In the State, there is a separate Centre called Madhya Pradesh Facilitation Centre for NRIs which has been set up to:-

facilitate NRIs to redress their personal and business issues related with Government of Madhya Pradesh.
provide information to NRIs about investment opportunities in Madhya Pradesh.
prepare the database of NRIs of Madhya Pradesh origin and/or NRIs interested in Madhya Pradesh.
act as one point contact with Government of Madhya Pradesh.
organize seminars, workshops, fairs and exhibitions.
help NRIs in planning their investments and exploring business opportunities.

3. Uttar Pradesh - In the State, the 'Udyog Bandhu' (Friend of Industry) was set up as coordination agency between entrepreneurs and Government with a view to facilitate congenial environment for progressive industrial development in U.P. It aimed to encourage entrepreneurs and function as a one-stop source of information on availability of basic requirements like land, power, finance and other applicable incentives. Over the years, it became independent body and has been functioning as catalyst for investment promotion as well. It is facilitating investment in industrial and service sectors related to different Government departments as well as solving various problems of existing and up-coming industries. It has also been carrying out greater responsibilities encompassing its role for industrial promotion, assisting Government in policy formulation, getting studies conducted regarding investment promotion, etc. That is, it has emerged as the major interaction centre for entrepreneurs and has been organizing high level conferences on industry related issues.

There is a NRI Cell in the U.P. which has been created to offer single window facility to all NRIs and PIOs of the State. Udyog Bandhu is a nodal agency for the NRI cell. This cell is exclusively dedicated to deal with all the matters relating to Overseas Indians with a view to effectively redressing their grievances as well as to play a proactive role in engaging them and providing escort services to invest in mutually beneficial projects of the State, by constantly networking with NRIs/ PIOs/ their associations abroad. This cell acts as a bridge between the State and NRIs abroad for enhancing cooperation in the development of infrastructure, education and health sector as well as investment in industry, promotion of traditional crafts enterprise and other areas of mutual interest.

4. Kerala - The Non Resident Keralites Affairs Department (NORKA) was set up by the Government of Kerala in 1996, in order to ensure the welfare of the Non Resident Keralites (NRKs), redress their grievances and safeguard their rights. Since then, NORKA has been playing a vital role in the lives of NRKs, supporting them in times of need and lending them a helping hand in every possible means. The major issues dealt by NORKA are:- assistance to stranded Keralites; complaints on non receipt of salary, accommodation etc.; assistance in bringing the mortal remains of NRKs to Kerala, subject to certain conditions; complaints on illegal overseas recruitment agencies; enquiries on investment opportunities in Kerala; enquiries on Pravasi Suraksha Kudumba Arogya Scheme; problems faced by the NRKs in State Government Departments; etc. The latest addition to NORKA's activities is the Non Resident Keralite's Welfare Agency (NORKWA), whose activities include:- introduction of a pension fund for NRKs; rehabilitation of NRK returnees; etc.

Further, Norka-Roots is the field agency of the Department of NORKA, set up in 2002. It acts as an interface between the Non-Resident Keralites and the Government of Kerala and a forum for addressing the NRKs’ problems, safeguarding their rights and rehabilitating the returnees. Its major activities are:-

Welfare of NRK's
Heritage village for parents of NRK's
Promotion of regional development with the active participation of NRK's
Social Security Network for NRK's
Relief fund for rendering immediate assistance to NRK's in need
Organization of annual meets for NRK's
Resettlement and reintegration of NRKs returning to Kerala
Employment mapping
Facilitate the creation of a high calibre human resource pool
Data Bank of NRK's
Channelising investments to the State

5. Karnataka - 'Karnataka Udyog Mitra' has been constituted under the aegis of the Commerce and Industries Department, Government of Karnataka, with a view to promote and facilitate investments as well as assist investors. It is a 'single contact point' for all investors who are looking at setting up businesses in Karnataka. As the nodal agency, its role is to facilitate investments and execute initiatives to enable a smooth transition, from receiving an investment proposal to the eventual implementation of the project. It is the Secretariat for grant of approvals and sanction of infrastructure facilities for approved projects. It provides an environment that helps investors handle investment processes and procedures with ease.

There is a 'Karnataka Diaspora Cell' which has been set up as a special initiative of Karnataka Udyog Mitra. The objectives of the Cell are to:-

forge a symbiotic relationship between Karnataka and its Diaspora.
provide information on Karnataka, as well as developments and investment opportunities in the State across all potential sectors.
facilitate investors among NRIs (Non-Resident Indians) and PKOs (People of Karnataka origin) in setting up their ventures in the State.
draw up the knowledge reservoir of Diaspora for development of the State.
promote Karnataka's culture and heritage overseas.
act as a window to provide information to Diaspora about education facilities, health facilities available in Karnataka and other information of interest to the Diaspora.

The functions of the Cell include:-

Undertaking activities to promote interactions/ exchange of ideas and involvement of Diaspora in projects in specific domains - rural development, industry and enterprise, health care, culture, language, philanthropy and communal harmony.
Facilitating interactive meets of Diaspora with persons of eminence in various fields, based on requests from the Diaspora.
Organizing annual meetings, prior to Indian Diaspora event organized by Government of India.
Creation and maintenance of database on NRI/ PKO associations, individuals categorized on their professional back ground of reciding place. In addition, it contains contact information on Indian Diplomatic Mission abroad, concerned departments of State Government and Union Government.
Publication of News letter / Circulars / E -mail to subscribers.

6. Punjab - There is NRI Zone (developed by Department of NRI Affairs, Government of Punjab) - www.nrizone.in. It is a valuable tool for NRI buyers looking to extend their reach and streamline their buying efforts. Buyers are able to search companies that are precisely indexed to a proprietary classification system of over 69,000+ product and service types. While, it equips the NRI seller with a state-of-the-art, precision marketing tool. It provides the seller with a buying audience that is global and precisely focused. Sellers and their catalogues can be identified and viewed by buyers in 16 languages.

Then, there is NRI Sabha Punjab which has been set up to:-

help the NRIs in protecting their rights in Punjab especially in property related matters;
provide facilities to NRIs on their visit to Punjab;
pursue the interests of the NRIs with the State and Central Government;
help in investment of NRIs in Punjab for economic development;
maintain Cultural and ethnic bonds of Punjab with the NRIs especially with the new generation of the NRIs;
promote social welfare in Punjab by motivating the NRIs and their friends and relatives residing in Punjab;
provide a forum for the NRIs, their friends and relatives living in Punjab and the Government to join and act together.

7. Odisha - There is a Non-Resident Oriya Facilitation Center in the State which works in liaison with the NRO Cell of Government of Odisha.

As part of the Industrial Policy Resolution 2001, the office of the Odisha Investment and Export Promotion Office (OIEPO) has been set up to promote and facilitate investments into the State of Odisha. The OIEPO is considered as the first point of contract with prospective investors, embassies, chambers of commerce, trade commissioners, international trade/ business organisation and other associations at Delhi and direct them to Team Odisha. The main objectives are to:-

promote Odisha as an attractive investment destination by creating awareness of the location and its competitive advantages.
provide assistance to NRIs from the State in their efforts/ endeavour to invest in or export products from Odisha.
assist in obtaining central level investment/ industrial approvals in respect of projects under implementation in the State.

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