Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Sunday, 17 May inaugurated the first phase of Million Minds Tech City in Tragad, Ahmedabad — Gujarat's first Special Economic Zone (SEZ) IT park — declaring that India had positioned itself as a 'founder nation' in emerging technologies including artificial intelligence, robotics, quantum computing, and semiconductors.

What Shah Said

Addressing the launch event, Shah said India had moved from lagging in critical sectors to building a commanding presence in technologies set to define the global economy over the next 25 years. 'AI and deep tech are the future economy. Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has become a founder nation in all emerging sectors in the world today,' he said.

Shah added that sectors including robotics, quantum computing, semiconductors, autonomous systems, cybersecurity, defence technology, and space technology would demand a large pool of highly skilled youth and advanced infrastructure. 'The intelligence is already there; we also need to provide them space, atmosphere and support,' he said, positioning technology parks such as Million Minds Tech City as critical to building that ecosystem.

Scale and Investment of the Project

The first phase of Million Minds Tech City is being developed at a cost of approximately ₹1,100 crore across 13.5 lakh square feet, with capacity for 9,000 high-skilled professionals. The full seven-phase project is expected to attract investment of around ₹15,000 crore and generate more than 63,000 high-value jobs over the next five years.

Gujarat's Broader Tech Ambitions

Shah noted that Gujarat's economic character was undergoing a shift, with growing emphasis on technology parks and global capability centres in recent years. He also stressed that India required 'skilled leadership and modern thinking in urban planning and infrastructure development to keep pace with global changes.' This comes amid a broader national push to attract semiconductor fabrication and deep-tech investment, with Gujarat increasingly positioning itself as a preferred destination for high-technology manufacturing.

Who Attended

The event was attended by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, and representatives of Ganesh Housing Limited, the developer behind the project. The inauguration of the first phase marks a milestone in Gujarat's effort to build a credible technology infrastructure that can compete with established IT corridors in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Pune.

With sectoral guidelines for deep-tech incentives still evolving at the national level, how quickly Million Minds Tech City fills its 9,000 seats will serve as an early indicator of whether Gujarat's tech-park ambition can translate into verifiable high-skill employment.