Ahmedabad: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today inaugurated the three-day International Kite Festival (IKF) 2014 at the Sabarmati riverfront here.
The BJP's Prime Ministerial nominee said that the kite festival signifies love for nature, environment and tourism and a special energy is derived from such festivities.
Modi stressed on the importance of tourism and the need for India to keep pace with the developments across the world in strengthening tourism.
Highlighting that the kite market in 2001-02 was Rs 30-35 crore, Modi said it has today crossed Rs 500 crore and become a source of livelihood for the poorest of the poor.
He stressed on the need to integrate the local people with the tourism industry to enjoy better results.
School children, studying in municipal school in the city, performed ‘surya namaskar' while differently abled students exhibited a cultural performance.
