Gujarat investment talks: CM Bhupendra Patel meets Japan and Singapore envoys at VGRC Surat

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel met Japan’s Ambassador to India Ono Keiichi and Singapore’s High Commissioner to India Simon Wong on Friday. The meetings took place alongside a regional industrial development and investment conference in Surat. Officials said the talks focused on deepening economic links and exploring sector-specific partnerships with Gujarat.

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Patel also inaugurated the two-day Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference (VGRC) for South Gujarat. The event was held at the Auro University campus in Surat, known as the diamond city. The Gujarat government said such regional conferences are meant to support local industrial growth and boost investment outreach.

Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference talks with Japan Ambassador

During a separate discussion with Ono Keiichi, Patel reviewed ways to strengthen bilateral economic cooperation, an official release said. The ambassador congratulated Patel for the successful conduct of the conference. The release added that Japan reiterated its intent to expand economic collaboration with Gujarat through business and industry cooperation.

Keiichi said Japanese companies were especially interested in working in the semiconductor sector. The ambassador also raised the need for government support to create supply parks. These parks would help supporting industries linked to semiconductors. Patel, as per the release, pointed to Gujarat’s skilled workforce and a strong skill ecosystem.

The release said Keiichi spoke about a positive experience of working with the Gujarat government. Keiichi also said there was interest in future collaboration with the state. The discussion also included possible new opportunities in bulk drug and medical device parks in Gujarat, according to the same official note.

Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference meeting with Singapore High Commissioner

Simon Wong met Patel and spoke about investment links between Singapore and Gujarat. Wong noted that Singapore’s investment in the state has continued to rise, the release said. Wong also referred to Singapore’s investments in GIFT City in Gandhinagar and discussed further possibilities in the financial services area.

Wong expressed confidence that GIFT City would become a hub for USD-INR bond issuance in the coming years, the release stated. Wong also shared ideas on setting up data centres in GIFT City. The proposal included building sandboxes for AI fintech and data localisation, as per the release.

Wong told Patel that Singapore was keen to work with India as India emerged as a global data and financial hub. Patel said Gujarat’s ease of doing business policies had made project execution simpler. Patel added that such steps were drawing domestic and international investors across sectors, according to officials.

The Gujarat government said it was holding similar regional conferences across the state. Officials said the aim was to support regional industrial development and encourage sector-wise investments. The programme also seeks to widen global engagement by linking visiting envoys and investors with local opportunities.

With inputs from PTI