Industry leaders on Monday, 31 August spotlighted Gujarat's investor-friendly policies, robust infrastructure, and swift decision-making as the forces driving the state's rise as one of India's most sought-after investment destinations, ahead of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2027. The remarks came at a curtain-raiser event held in New Delhi, where more than 1,000 industry representatives and investors had been invited.

Summit's Evolving Role

ASSOCHAM President Nirmal Kumar Minda described the summit as something that has outgrown its original mandate. 'Vibrant Gujarat is not just an investment summit but an economic festival,' Minda said, noting that the platform now connects investors from across India and the world directly with the state's industrial ecosystem.

Minda pointed to rising investments in semiconductors and artificial intelligence at Dholera as evidence of Gujarat's pivot toward emerging technology sectors. He also cited Maruti's upcoming automobile plant in Sanand as a project that would anchor and broaden the state's wider manufacturing base. Notably, Minda underscored the role of MSMEs, arguing that smaller enterprises stand to gain expansion opportunities as large-scale investments flow in.

DCM Shriram's Three-Decade Gujarat Story

DCM Shriram Chairman Ajay S Shriram said the Vibrant Gujarat platform had been instrumental in placing the state firmly on the global investment map. His company, which has operated in Gujarat for nearly three decades, has seen its initial 100-tonne caustic soda facility scale up to a capacity of 2,250 tonnes.

DCM Shriram has invested approximately ₹5,000 crore in Gujarat over the past three-and-a-half years and is working on plans — together with associates and partners — to deploy an additional ₹8,000–10,000 crore over the next four to five years, Shriram said.

Tata Power's Energy Ambitions in Gujarat

Tata Power CEO Sanjay Banga said the company had a long-standing relationship with Gujarat, anchored by its 4,000-MW Mundra thermal project, which continues to play a significant role in meeting the state's energy requirements. The company also operates around 700 MW of solar and wind power projects in the state.

Banga added that the state government has recently allocated land for the development of another 3 GW of renewable energy projects. Beyond renewables, Tata Power is evaluating a potential site in Gujarat for a nuclear power project, with further investment contingent on the outcome of technical and commercial feasibility studies.

What the Summit Signals

The Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2027 is scheduled to be held in January 2027. This comes amid a broader national push to attract manufacturing and deep-tech investment, with Gujarat increasingly positioning itself as the preferred gateway — from semiconductor fabrication at Dholera to large-scale renewable energy corridors along its coastline. The curtain-raiser in New Delhi signals that the state is moving early to lock in investor commitments well before the summit opens.