How are India-Japan relations evolving with a focus on semiconductors and Smart City investments in Dholera?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Japan's delegation visit marks a milestone in India-Japan industrial cooperation.
- Dholera is a key player in India's semiconductor manufacturing strategy.
- The city is designed to be livable and investor-ready.
- Infrastructure projects include advanced facilities for water and power management.
- Dholera aligns with India's Vision 2047 for self-reliance.
New Delhi, July 10 (NationPress) Keiichi Ono, Japan's Ambassador to India, spearheaded a prominent delegation from leading Japanese firms on an official tour of the Dholera Special Investment Region in Gujarat, a cutting-edge smart industrial city situated within the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC), as stated by the Commerce and Industry Ministry on Thursday.
This visit signifies a crucial step in enhancing industrial collaboration between India and Japan, founded on shared principles of innovation, sustainability, and inclusive development.
The two-day event began with a conference session in Ahmedabad, followed by an on-site tour of the Dholera Special Investment Region (SIR). The Japanese delegation engaged in a firsthand exploration of the city’s planned infrastructure and amenities, accompanied by officials from Dholera Industrial City Development Ltd. (DICDL) and the National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (NICDC).
During the site visit, the delegation examined the Water Treatment Plant, Canal Front Development, Power Substation, the under-construction Tata Electronics semiconductor fabrication plant, and the ABCD Building, which accommodates the Integrated Command & Control Centre (ICCC) and the Experience Centre.
The delegation received insights regarding the Tata Electronics semiconductor fabrication plant, being developed in collaboration with Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (PSMC) of Taiwan. This initiative, a vital element of the Semicon India Programme, is part of over Rs 1.54 lakh crore in semiconductor-related investments currently progressing in Gujarat.
Additionally, the delegation assessed Dholera’s planned social infrastructure, which includes a multi-specialty hospital, fire station, integrated school, premium guesthouse, residential and commercial complexes, and hospitality hubs, all designed to transform Dholera into a fully livable and investor-ready smart city.
Dholera embodies India’s Vision 2047 of evolving into a developed, self-reliant, and innovation-driven economy. With multimodal connectivity via the Ahmedabad–Dholera Expressway and the forthcoming Greenfield International Airport, plug-and-play industrial zones, real-time governance via the ICCC, and robust utility infrastructure, Dholera is envisioned to be more than merely an industrial base.
The visit from the Japanese delegation underscores Dholera’s growing global significance and its potential to act as India’s gateway to advanced manufacturing, as highlighted in the official statement.