Bangalore: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today (Aug 29, 2004) said the State was emerging as India's petro and medical tourism capital and his Government had an aim to transform Gujarat for the world in the 21st century.

"There was a time when the world was for Gujaratis, now we want to transform Gujarat for the world," Modi said at the inaugural of the Sardar Patel Bhavan, of the Gujarati Samaj and unveiling the statue of India's first home minister in Bangalore.

Addressing a gathering of Gujaratis in Karnataka, Modi said, the Government was aiming to harness the 1,600 kms of virgin coastline in the western State and pointed to the discovery of oil in the State valued at over Rs 1,000 crore last week, after reopening 20 year old closed wells.

"While officials were hesitant to reopen the well, saying it was barren, I took the risk of investing Rs 12 crore, and later an additional Rs 24 crore and last week we struck oil," he said.

Urging Gujaratis across the world to contribute for the development of both Gujarat and the place they have settled, Modi, the super speciality hospitals in the State were treating patients across the world, and about 30 to 40 per cent of them were from abroad.

He said the agricultural output this year would be Rs 21,000 crore this year aided by the good monsoon, up from the Rs 9,000 crore agri output last year.