Ranchi: Chief Minister Hemant Soren, during his eight-day investment tour to Spain and Sweden, addressed the Indian diaspora at a dinner hosted by the Indian Embassy in Sweden and explored sustainable industrial collaborations. During the event, Soren urged diaspora members to act as “ambassadors for India” in the Nordic region, inviting them to invest in Jharkhand’s sectors such as renewable energy, mining, and agriculture.
The delegation, including Chief Secretary Alka Tiwari and Industry Secretary Arva Rajkamal, visited the IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute’s headquarters for discussions on clean energy and environmental sustainability with CEO John Rune Nielsen8. The talks focused on potential collaborations in green technology and industrial decarbonisation.
Earlier in Spain, the team explored partnerships in agriculture, food processing, and sports development, including a proposed MoU with RCD Espanyol for football coaching programs. A Czech firm also proposed establishing a GIGA factory in Jharkhand for commercial battery storage assembly. In Sweden, Soren visited Volvo’s plant and pitched Jharkhand as a manufacturing hub for automobile and clean energy sectors8.
The opposition BJP has criticised the tour as a “tourism exercise,” questioning the inclusion of non-industry officials and Soren’s wife, Kalpana Soren. However, the government emphasised the trip’s focus on attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) and updating industrial policies.
Chief Minister Soren is scheduled to return to Delhi on Tuesday morning at approximately 9:30 AM. However, there is a higher likelihood of him returning to Ranchi on Wednesday. Notably, during his foreign trip from April 19 to 27, the Chief Minister was accompanied by his wife, Kalpana Soren, along with a team of nine other top officials. The delegation included Chief Secretary Alka Tiwari, the Chief Minister’s Additional Chief Secretary Avinash Kumar, Industry Secretary Arva Rajkamal, and other officials. During the visit, the Chief Minister inspected several industrial units in Spain and Sweden, including Volvo’s plant, where he extended an offer to the company to establish a unit in Jharkhand. Additionally, the Chief Minister and his team held meetings with various industrial groups, government representatives, and organizations, inviting them for capital investment.