Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilisers and Chemicals Ltd (GNFC) has been set a bold ₹70,000 crore investment target by 2047, up from its current project portfolio of around ₹7,000 crore, as Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel challenged the state-run company to scale up tenfold in line with India's Viksit Bharat 2047 vision. The directive came on 16 June during GNFC's golden jubilee celebrations at Narmada Nagar in Bharuch district.

CM Patel's Vision for GNFC

Addressing the golden jubilee gathering, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said GNFC's five decades of operation reflected its enduring contribution to Gujarat's industrial growth, agricultural development, and national self-reliance. 'GNFC's five decades of success represent a unique saga of contribution towards Gujarat's development, farmers' prosperity and a self-reliant India,' Patel said.

He called on the company to align its long-term roadmap with the Viksit Bharat 2047 framework and substantially scale up investment over the coming decades. Patel also noted that the Gujarat government had prepared a parallel 'Viksit Gujarat 2047' roadmap targeting balanced development across six regions of the state.

Linking PSU Growth to National Progress

Connecting GNFC's jubilee with the completion of 12 years of governance under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Patel said India had advanced rapidly towards becoming the world's third-largest economy during this period. He credited public sector undertakings (PSUs) with playing a key role in that trajectory and said PM Modi had made PSUs 'more efficient, transparent, competitive and profitable through a professional approach.'

Notably, this framing positions a state-level PSU anniversary within a broader national political narrative — a pattern that has become common at flagship corporate events in Gujarat.

GNFC's Social and Environmental Footprint

Chief Secretary and GNFC Chairman Manoj Kumar Das outlined the company's 'Consolidate, Expand and Diversify' strategy to align with emerging global trends. He credited GNFC's growth to its approximately 2.73 lakh shareholders, employees, officers, suppliers, and workers over five decades.

Das said GNFC had spent around ₹200 crore on corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives spanning education, healthcare, and nutrition. The company's 'Neem Project' — which uses neem seed oil for urea coating and organic product manufacturing — has engaged rural women's self-help groups in neem seed collection, reportedly empowering more than 4.50 lakh women economically.

Chief Minister Patel also congratulated GNFC for launching the '50 Viksit Villages – Vision 2047' initiative, aimed at holistic development of 50 villages in Bharuch district.

Inauguration and Celebratory Events

As part of the golden jubilee celebrations, Chief Minister Patel inaugurated the Namo Vadvan Miyawaki Forest and Oxygen Park at the Narmada Nagar township, opened a Community Science Centre, and released a coffee-table book documenting GNFC's 50-year history.

Das recalled visiting GNFC during a Gujarat Darshan tour shortly after joining the state civil service in 1991, saying the company had 'surpassed the expectations of its early vision and evolved into a significantly larger enterprise.'

Industrial Policy Tailwinds

Das pointed to Gujarat's new industrial policy, noting that state government incentives ranging from 25 to 30 per cent would improve the viability of GNFC's projects and help advance progress towards its long-term targets. The company plans to adopt around 50 villages in Bharuch district as part of its contribution to the Viksit Bharat mission, supporting their development into model villages.

With a tenfold investment target set and state policy incentives in place, GNFC's next phase will test whether Gujarat's flagship chemicals PSU can translate jubilee ambition into verifiable industrial output over the next two decades.