"India stands at a definitive threshold as far as her developmental experience is concerned," Mukherjee said. He was speaking at the session on: Developmental challenges of the states: Partnership opportunities.

"The rest of the world sees India as a continent, if not in size, surely in the diversity of its people and its numerous contrasting states. We are also firmly set on an impressive economic growth trajectory of around 9 per cent per annum," he added.

He appealed to the state governments that they should take specific initiatives and devise their strategies to benefit from the creativity, talent, enterprise, enthusiasm and commitment of the members of the overseas Indian community.

In a brief address, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said, "Delhi has been a pioneer in many things. We were the first one to introduce CNG, Delhi's green cover has been praised all the time and its educational institutes have always been held in high respect."

In time to come, Delhi, will have an airport with 10 times the present capacity, more roads, improved infrastructure and more meaningful power reforms.

"Let them hear me speak and let them judge what I am", said Ambika Soni, Minister of Tourism & Culture. Vibrancy, she said, bonds the entire population of India. "The working sessions are very intelligently chosen to infuse a sense of unity into the people. It makes us realise why and how the participants have become globally Indians."

"We are among the top countries of the world in the way the economy is growing but tourism has been on the backburner for quite some time. It should no longer be so. We have proven that tourism is one of the prime economic drivers."

She also shared her plans to develop medical tourism in the country and sought the NRIs' help for the same.

After Soni, it was Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's turn who said he would want people visiting India (once they are successfully lured by Soni's speech) to stay here as permanent residents.

"The world is looking at India with hope. Its story of growth is well known and one has to give credit to Gujarat for that. It is the only state with a double digit growth rate."

Dwelling at length on the improvements that have been brought in his state, the Gujarat electricity board, which was running at a loss until recently, has now turned around and it is expected to make a profit of Rs 300 crore (Rs 3 bilion).

"Gujarat is the only state which can provide safe drinking water to 8,000 villages through pipelines," Modi said. "In tourism too, the state has shown remarkable growth.

Addressing the NRIs attending the meet, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said, "You represent a tremendous resource in intellectual, technical, scientific, professional, economic, trade and entrepreneurial excellence."

He thanked the NRIs for building bridges for trade and industry between India and the rest of the world. "Steel baron L N Mittal, Professor Jagdish Bhagwati, Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen, entrepreneurs Sabeer Bhatia and Rajat Gupta have improved India's image in the world," he said.

In spite of being primarily an agrarian state, Hooda said, "Haryana has taken giant strides over the years. With just 1.37 per cent of the country's geographical area and 1.97 per cent of the country's total population, the state has achieved the distinction of having the highest per capita income in the country."

Sharing some more statistics, Hooda informed that Haryana manufactures more than 50 per cent of the passenger cars, 25 per cent of tractors and 50 per cent of motorcycles produced in India.

"It gives me great pleasure in declaring that Haryana has already been chosen as one of the states where tourists could come and stay in rural farms with farmers for a first hand experience," said the Haryana chief minister.

Hooda threw a challenge to Modi by saying that he wanted Haryana to be the topmost state of the country. To this, the Gujarat chief minister chose to applaud sportingly.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Minister for Railways Lalu Prasad Yadav did not turn up and they were represented by Gautam Singh, Bihar industry minister.

The CII president R Seshasayee concluded the morning session by noting that there was tremendous competition among the states, which could only benefit the country.