Participants' verdict: Effort good, planning bad

It’s a good effort, but not well-planned –– was the verdict given by participants about the arrangements at the Global Investors’ Meet (GIM) which concluded on Friday.

Deccan Herald spoke to a cross-section of participants to elicit their impressions on the investment jamboree attended by about 5,000 delegates and a galaxy of industry captains from across the country.

The biggest grouse of the participants was the poor arrangements for lunch. Several of the delegates and participants failed to get any food at the venue. Even some of the top bureaucrats went hungry due to non-availability of food on Friday.

Masaka, a Japanese delegate, said she was surprised at the large number of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) signed at the event. “I saw investors standing in queues to sign MoUs. I wonder if they will actually invest and implement their projects,” she added.

While she rated the arrangements as “okay”, she said, there should have been better coordination among various departments in providing information to the participants. Information about investment opportunities was not available at one place, she said.
Jennifer Wahlquist, a US citizen and an employee at Gennext Education, Bangalore, said the GIM was a great event for investors to explore business opportunities.

“Except for a few minor things, I am impressed with the way it was organised,” she said. But even Jennifer pointed that she had problems with getting food. “First of all the food court was crowded. I stood in one queue, but, by the time my turn came, they ran out of food. Then I stood in another queue, but was met with the same fate. At last I gave up and bought an icecream at a shop,” she said.

Mallikarjun Vantagudi, Director of Asmaitha, a telecom firm, said the meet lacked proper arrangements. There was no restriction on visitors. A large number of people, who had nothing to do with investments or business, made it to the venue.

This led to a lot of problems. Moreover, the government seemed to interested in wooing only the big-time investors. Small entrepreneurs should be encouraged and given an opportunity, he felt.

Sachidananda Murthy, who owns a garment shop in Ramanagar, said he came to GIM looking for information about the textile sector. “I got the information I was looking for and I think the arrangements are satisfactory,” he said.

Dina, an employee of Novotel Hotel, said: “The arrangements were good, but not excellent. A lot more could have been done to make the event more attractive and productive for the investors. I believe there was no proper planning. I did not get lunch on both days,” she said.