CM Patel inaugurates VGRC in Vadodara, calls for investment-led growth

Inaugurating the fourth edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference (VGRC) for Central Gujarat in Vadodara, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Monday (29 June 2026) urged industry leaders and investors to turn discussions into investments and projects that will lead to economic growth.

The conference was attended by Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, Ministers of State, senior bureaucrats, ambassadors and industry representatives.

Addressing the gathering, Mr. Patel said that Gujarat was advancing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of balanced regional development by showcasing each district’s industrial strengths through the VGRC platform. He said the conference was more than an investment summit, describing it as a bridge connecting local industry with global opportunities.

Urging industrialists and entrepreneurs to convert “discussions into decisions, ideas into projects and projects into prosperity”, the chief minister said the fourth regional conference, covering 10 districts of central Gujarat, would create new opportunities and partnerships for industrial growth.

Mr Patel said the three previous editions of the VGRC held in Mehsana, Rajkot and Surat had attracted investment commitments worth around ₹ 13.30 lakh crore through 9,499 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs).

Describing central Gujarat as the heart of the state’s industrial growth, he said districts including Vadodara, Anand, Kheda, Panchmahal, Chhota Udepur and Dahod have emerged as major contributors in manufacturing, engineering, pharmaceuticals, agri-food products and the SME sector. He said Vadodara was emerging as a hub for petrochemicals, specialty chemicals, electric vehicle equipment and aerospace manufacturing, while Anand continued to strengthen its global identity through the dairy cooperative sector.

The Chief Minister also highlighted the state’s new Industrial Policy 2026 and said that apart from the ‘Choose Incentives’ mechanism that allows investors to choose benefits as per their requirements, it introduces specific incentives for small and medium enterprises, start-ups and women entrepreneurs.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Khattar said Gujarat has emerged as one of India’s most trusted investment destinations due to stable politics, reliable power supply, world-class infrastructure and industry-friendly governance. Crediting the Vibrant Gujarat initiative for creating confidence among global investors, he said the state had laid the foundations of political stability and industrial growth under Mr. Modi’s leadership as Gujarat Chief Minister.

Highlighting India’s power sector, Mr Khattar said the country successfully met a record peak power consumption of 271 GW this year and is preparing to meet demand of up to 300 GW as consumption grows due to data centres, electric cars and artificial intelligence. He added that Gujarat remained an energy surplus state with more than 50 GW of renewable energy capacity.

Deputy Chief Minister Mr. Sanghavi said vibrant Gujarat has evolved from an investment summit to a global platform for partnership and innovation. He said central Gujarat contributed nearly 28% of the state’s manufacturing output and exported goods worth over $20.5 billion in 2025-26.

He said the region has more than 65 GIDC plots with over 24,000 active industrial plots and accounts for 92% of Gujarat’s automobile and auto component manufacturing, 70% of beverage manufacturing and 63% of pharmaceutical and electrical equipment manufacturing.

Announcing the future plans, Mr. Sanghavi said that the State Central Economic Plan of Gujarat envisages the development of Chhota Udepur as a sports equipment manufacturing hub and Vadodara as India’s largest bio-economy hub. He added that Viksit Gujarat 2026 industrial policy aims to attract ₹10 crore in new investment in the next five years.

He also announced enhanced incentives for women entrepreneurs, including an additional 1% interest subsidy, reskilling programs for women returning to the workforce and rental assistance for up to five years. The policy also provides EPF reimbursement to companies employing persons with disabilities and seeks to attract large projects worth ₹10,000 crore while creating around 3,000 jobs.

Mr. Sanghavi said the state has increased disbursement of industrial incentives by 55% to ₹7,888 crore in the last two years, reduced documentation requirements by 41%, reduced backlog by 95% and processed nearly 392 applications every day, making Gujarat an increasingly attractive investment destination.

Published – 29 Jun 2026 22:12 IST