Gujarat roadshow in Australia, NZ targets energy, minerals ahead of VGGS 2027
Synopsis
Gujarat sent a ministerial delegation on an eight-day, two-country roadshow — 150-plus meetings, 8 roundtables, stadium tours and a battery storage site visit — to drum up investment ahead of VGGS 2027. Critical minerals and renewable energy dominated the agenda, signalling that Gujarat is positioning itself as India's gateway for Australia's resource wealth.
Key Takeaways
Gujarat 's delegation conducted an eight-day investment roadshow across Australia and New Zealand from 26 October to 2 November 2026 .
The mission, led by Energy Minister Rushikesh Patel , included 8 business roundtables , 11 one-to-one meetings and 4 ministerial-level meetings , engaging more than 150 industry leaders .
Priority sectors covered: critical minerals , renewable energy , petrochemicals , technology , logistics , education , sports infrastructure and tourism .
The delegation visited Melbourne , Sydney , Brisbane and Auckland , and toured facilities including Monash University , the Melbourne Cricket Ground and the Glenbrook Ohurua Battery project.
All outreach is aimed at building investor momentum for VGGS 2027 , scheduled at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar from 10 to 12 January 2027 .
Reliance Industries Ltd was among the private-sector participants, represented by Senior Vice-President Mehul Vaidya .
A high-level Gujarat government delegation completed an eight-day investment outreach across Australia and New Zealand from 26 October to 2 November 2026, conducting eight business roundtables and engaging more than 150 industry leaders across sectors including critical minerals, renewable energy, petrochemicals, and technology — all in the run-up to the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit (VGGS) 2027, scheduled at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar from 10 to 12 January 2027.
Scale and Structure of the Roadshow
The delegation, led by Gujarat Energy and Petrochemicals Minister Rushikesh Patel, held 11 one-to-one meetings, four ministerial-level meetings, and eight sector-focused roundtables across the two countries. It also undertook six visits to industrial facilities and institutions, and held three engagements with the Indian and Gujarati diaspora, personally inviting them to participate in VGGS 2027.
Senior state officials accompanying the minister included Chief Commissioner of State Tax Roopwant Singh and Commissioner of Geology and Mining Dhaval Patel. From the private sector, representatives included Shreyans Goyal, Chairman and Managing Director of Shakti Group Companies; Mehul Vaidya, Senior Vice-President (Project Development) at Reliance Industries Ltd; Milan Thakkar, Director of Alexius Projects Pvt Ltd; and Harshil Tamakuwala, Founder and Director of Hindustan Mag Pvt Ltd.
Australian Leg: Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane
During the Australian segment from 26 to 30 October, the delegation visited Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, holding nine one-to-one meetings with organisations including Cavendish Renewable Technology, Cox Architecture, Initiative Sports & Events, Eyeonic, Progia Foods, Aus Energy Store, the Centre for Australia-India Relations, Endua and Populous.
Ministerial-level engagements included meetings with New South Wales government representatives: Anoulack Chanthivong, Minister for Better Regulation and Fair Trading, Industry and Trade, Innovation, Science and Technology, Building and Corrections; Warren Kirby, Riverstone MP and Co-Chair of the NSW Parliamentary Friends of India; and NSW Shadow Minister Mark Joseph Coure. Discussions centred on bilateral trade, investment and cooperation in Gujarat's priority sectors.
Six roundtables in Australia, organised in association with AFL, TerraNext World, the Smart Energy Council and INQ Innovation Global, drew more than 100 participants from government, industry, academia and startups. Topics spanned sports infrastructure, critical mineral supply chains, renewable energy and innovation-led entrepreneurship. The delegation also participated in the second Australia-India Business Meet 2026 in Sydney and a Queensland government engagement programme in Brisbane, the latter of which focused on resources, energy, sports infrastructure and opportunities linked to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Institutional visits included tours of Monash University, Cricket Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Marvel Stadium and the Gabba Stadium — all to study practices relevant to Gujarat's own development priorities.
New Zealand Leg: Renewable Energy and Battery Storage in Focus
On 1 and 2 November, the delegation visited Auckland, where it held one-to-one meetings with Contact Energy and Service Foods, and a ministerial-level meeting with New Zealand Minister of Health, Energy and State-Owned Enterprises Simeon Brown.
Two roundtables, organised by the India New Zealand Business Council and the India New Zealand Chamber of Commerce and Industry, attracted more than 50 participants, including representatives from Mainfreight Air & Ocean, Hiringa Energy, Energy Resources Aotearoa, Bank of New Zealand, Elemental Group and the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce. Discussions covered renewable energy, battery storage, logistics, banking and financial services, scientific research and technology.
The delegation also visited Contact Energy's grid-scale Glenbrook Ohurua Battery project — a site directly relevant to Gujarat's battery storage ambitions.
VGGS 2027: Context and Significance
The 11th edition of VGGS will be held at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar from 10 to 12 January 2027 under the theme 'Viksit Gujarat – Shaping Global Future'. Launched in 2003, the summit is Gujarat's flagship platform for investment, business networking and knowledge exchange. This Australia-New Zealand roadshow is one of several pre-summit outreach missions the state government is conducting globally to build investor momentum ahead of January.
With critical minerals emerging as a geopolitical and industrial priority — and Australia ranking among the world's top suppliers — the timing of this outreach reflects a broader strategic calculation by Gujarat about securing upstream supply chains for its energy transition goals.
Point of View
Battery storage, sports infrastructure and diaspora engagement across four cities in two countries — suggests Gujarat is not merely pitching for incremental FDI but attempting to embed itself in Australia's resource export chain ahead of a global energy transition race. Notably, the inclusion of Reliance Industries in the delegation signals that India's largest private conglomerate sees strategic value in these corridors, which could accelerate deal flow beyond symbolic MoUs. The Brisbane 2032 Olympics angle is also worth watching: Gujarat's sports infrastructure ambitions could find a credible international benchmark there. The real test, as with every pre-VGGS roadshow, is whether the conversations in Melbourne and Auckland convert into signed commitments at Gandhinagar in January.
NationPress
7 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2027?
The Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit (VGGS) 2027 is the 11th edition of Gujarat's flagship investment and business networking summit, scheduled at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar from 10 to 12 January 2027 under the theme 'Viksit Gujarat – Shaping Global Future'. Launched in 2003, it serves as the state government's primary platform for attracting domestic and international investment.
Why did Gujarat conduct a roadshow in Australia and New Zealand?
Gujarat conducted the eight-day roadshow to build investor interest ahead of VGGS 2027, focusing on sectors such as critical minerals, renewable energy, petrochemicals and technology. Australia is among the world's largest suppliers of critical minerals, making it a strategic partner for Gujarat's energy transition and industrial ambitions.
Who led the Gujarat delegation to Australia and New Zealand?
The delegation was led by Gujarat Energy and Petrochemicals Minister Rushikesh Patel, accompanied by senior officials including Chief Commissioner of State Tax Roopwant Singh and Commissioner of Geology and Mining Dhaval Patel, along with private-sector representatives from Reliance Industries Ltd, Shakti Group Companies and others.
What sectors were discussed during the Australia and New Zealand visits?
Discussions covered critical minerals, renewable energy, battery storage, petrochemicals, technology, logistics, banking and financial services, education, sports infrastructure and tourism. The delegation also explored opportunities linked to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
How many meetings and roundtables did the Gujarat delegation hold?
The delegation held eight business roundtables, eleven one-to-one meetings and four ministerial-level meetings, engaging more than 150 industry leaders across Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Auckland over eight days from 26 October to 2 November 2026.
