Surat: Chief minister Bhupendra Patel on Friday announced eight new Smart GIDC estates across five South Gujarat districts as the headline takeaway from the inaugural day of the two-day Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference (VGRC) in Surat, underlining the state’s push to strengthen industrial infrastructure.The eight Smart GIDCs, to be developed across Bharuch, Navsari, Surat, Tapi and Valsad, will span nearly 5,380 acres and feature integrated, tech-enabled infrastructure aimed at improving industrial efficiency, ease of doing business and investment readiness.The move forms part of the state government’s broader plan to convert 25 existing GIDC estates into Smart GIDCs with an investment of Rs 1,250 crore. The upgrade will focus on strengthening water, electricity, gas and digital networks using modern technology to create plug-and-play industrial ecosystems.The announcement dovetailed with the government’s larger pitch to investors. Deputy chief minister Harsh Sanghavi said Gujarat sees itself as a “friend, partner and well-wisher” of investors and expressed confidence that the Surat VGRC would attract record investment agreements.Presenting the state’s industrial roadmap, Sanghavi emphasised policy ease and administrative transparency, noting that industrialists no longer need to make repeated visits to government offices to secure incentives. He added that in 2024–25, the industries department disbursed incentives worth Rs 5,619 crore, including direct assistance of Rs 1,300 crore to around 11,000 traders from Surat just a day earlier.Officials said the Smart GIDC push, combined with streamlined policies and faster approvals, is aimed at reinforcing Gujarat’s position as a preferred investment destination while driving balanced regional industrial growth.Jpan’s ambassador to India, Keiichi Ono described Surat as a leading commercial hub and a key node in the high-speed rail corridor.Highlighting Japan’s industrial footprint, Ono flagged emerging collaboration in semiconductors, calling for development of a robust supplier ecosystem, and cited Maruti Suzuki’s biogas initiative as an example of sustainable innovation aligned with farmers’ incomes.Singapore, too, reinforced its position as a key economic partner. Its high commissioner to India, Simon Wong noted that Singapore has been India’s largest source of FDI over the past 12 years, with cumulative inflows of $179 billion since 2014.Wong said Gujarat accounts for nearly half of India’s exports to Singapore, spanning petrochemicals, textiles, jewellery and pharmaceuticals. “Surat alone exports cut and polished diamonds worth $100 million to Singapore, and one in every four denim jeans comes from the city,” he said.He added that Singapore is looking to expand investments in semiconductors and financial services across Dholera, GIFT City and Sanand, pitching data centres and AI-fintech sandboxes. Expressing confidence in GIFT City’s trajectory, Wong said it is poised to emerge as a hub for USD-INR bond issuances, with more announcements expected at the upcoming Vibrant Gujarat summit.Gujarati Day For Japan, SingaporeGujarati was the flavour of the day as Japan’s ambassador to India, Keiichi Ono, struck a strong local connect by opening his address in Gujarati, speaking for over three minutes and drawing repeated applause. Singapore’s high commissioner Simon Wong began his address with “Jai Shri Krishna” and noted the conference coincided with Gujarat Foundation Day, Buddha Purnima and Labour Day. He highlighted Singapore’s deepening economic engagement with Gujarat alongside the cultural connect.Rwanda highlights strong Gujarati business linksRwanda’s high commissioner Jacqueline Mukangira discussed strengthening economic cooperation with Gujarat during her meeting with the CM. She noted that many Indian businesses in Rwanda are run by Gujaratis and that cultural and people-to-people ties between the regions have grown significantly. The CM proposed sending a delegation to Rwanda to explore further opportunities.Seychelles calls for stronger ties in green energy, tourismSeychelles’ high commissioner Harisoa Lalatiana Accouche highlighted strong India-Seychelles ties and stressed the need to deepen engagement with Gujarat through mutual investments in renewable energy and tourism, emerging as key sectors for future collaboration.
