Rajasthan accounts for 70 per cent of the country’s stone production and more than 10 lakh people are getting employment, Chairman of RIICO (State Industrial Development and Investment Corporation) and CM’s Principal Secretary Kuldeep Ranka claimed on Thursday.

Speaking at India Stonemart-2022, the largest international exposition on the stone industry and a showcase of the world of natural dimensional stones, Ranka said, “There are abundant deposits of marble, sandstone, granite, cotstone, slate, etc. By adopting their scientific exploitation and processing, the stone industry has made a special identity in the last decades.”

“There are 4,920 mining leases in the state. Rajasthan produces 90 percent of the marble and sandstone in the country. About 10 lakh people of the state are getting employment directly from this sector”, he claimed.

Earlier in his inaugural speech, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said the recently-held Investment Rajasthan summit had signed a major chunk of MoUs worth Rs. 800 crore related to the stone industry.

Elaborating on the state’s investment friendly environment, Gehlot said, “Infrastructure with mineral reserves, efficient human resources and implementation of effective policies has increased the possibilities of investment on a large scale in the state”.

Rajasthan Investment Promotion Scheme-2022 (RIPS) has recently been launched in the sequel to the environment that the state government has created for employment and economic development by implementing NERIPS-2019.

The state government has implemented “Chief Minister Laghu Udyog Protsahan Yojana” to encourage small-scale industries. For MSME industries, entrepreneurs in the state can start their business by filling a self-declaration form which will be free from any kind of inspection for 5 years, according to Gehlot.

On this occasion, CM honoured Mr R Veeramani and Shri Arun Kumar Agarwal of Rajasthan Industries were honored with the Kosi-DOS Lifetime Achievement Awards. Along with this, the All India Stone Architecture Award was also distributed. The Chief Minister released an exhibitors’ directory of Stonemart-2022 and RIICO’s Coffee Table Book.

Industries Minister Mrs Shakuntalarawat said that earlier Rajasthan was once known only for marble and sandstone, but in the last 10 years, granite industry has developed rapidly due to the establishment of large scale granite mining and processing units in Jalore, Kishangarh, Chittorgarh, Rajsamand and Udaipur areas.