Gandhinagar, June 15 (SocialNews.XYZ) Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi on Monday highlighted research and development, faster delivery of incentives and retaining investment within Gujarat as key objectives of the 'Viksit Gujarat Industrial Policy-2026', describing the framework as a long-term strategy to prepare the state for emerging industries and global competition.
Addressing industrialists and stakeholders at the policy launch in Gandhinagar, Sanghavi said Gujarat’s industrial achievements had been built through collaboration between government and entrepreneurs and that "the new policy was designed to strengthen the state’s position as India’s leading manufacturing hub".
Speaking in the presence of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Finance Minister Kanu Desai, senior minister Jitu Vaghani, Minister of State for Industries, Jayram Gamit, Chief Secretary M.K. Das, Industries and Mines Department Additional Chief Secretary Mamta Verma, Finance Department Additional Chief Secretary T. Natarajan and Industries Commissioner P. Swaroop, Sanghavi congratulated all stakeholders involved in drafting the policy.
He praised Patel’s leadership, saying the Chief Minister had consistently worked to address challenges affecting farmers, youth, women, and other sections of society through a thoughtful, people-centric approach. “In the true sense, he has acted as a guardian of the people,” Sanghavi said.
The Deputy Chief Minister said Gujarat continued to outperform its size in the national economy.
"Although the state accounts for only around five per cent of India’s land area and about six per cent of its population, it contributes more than 18 per cent of the country’s manufacturing output and 8.2 per cent of national GDP," he said.
He said approximately 40 per cent of India’s cargo handling takes place in Gujarat and around one-third of the country’s exports originate from the state.
He also noted that Gujarat has the highest number of MSMEs in the country. Sanghavi thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said, "Gujarat’s economy had expanded 20-fold over the past 22 years since PM Modi became Chief Minister of the state."
While acknowledging the significance of the incentives announced under the policy, Sanghavi said the larger objective was to prepare Gujarat’s industries for future opportunities in sunrise sectors.
“If you invest Rs 100 crore, the government is also investing in the future of the state’s youth,” he said, referring to subsidy support ranging from 15 per cent to 45 per cent depending on the sector and category of investment.
According to Sanghavi, the policy is intended not only to create employment but also to develop a broader industrial ecosystem that enables young people to pursue opportunities within Gujarat rather than seeking them elsewhere.
"Extensive consultations had been held under the Chief Minister’s leadership to identify ways in which the government could better support industries, prevent investment outflows and attract businesses from other states," he said.
Sanghavi also credited Jayram Gamit for contributing ideas to increase industrial activity and employment generation in tribal regions.
He thanked Finance Minister Kanu Desai and the Finance Department for supporting measures designed to ensure quicker implementation of assistance programmes.
A major focus of the policy, Sanghavi said, is improving the speed of delivering incentives. He noted that departments had simplified procedures, streamlined inspections, and accelerated approvals, enabling industries to expand more efficiently.
“In just one year, more than 1.05 lakh applications were processed, and incentives were delivered,” he said, adding that the volume of applications handled daily had more than doubled.
The Deputy Chief Minister said future incentive calculations would be made available through an online system, allowing even small investors to quickly and transparently determine their benefits.
"Government departments had jointly reduced documentation requirements and removed unnecessary procedures to make it easier for smaller businesses to access assistance directly," he said.
Sanghavi described Gujarat as the first state to place such a strong emphasis on industrial research and development through dedicated policy support.
He highlighted provisions offering subsidies of up to 50 per cent for R&D activities and said the initiative would create opportunities for young researchers while strengthening Gujarat’s manufacturing competitiveness.
“We do not want to rely solely on technologies developed elsewhere. We want to build our own R&D capabilities,” he said.
The Deputy Chief Minister identified green energy, drone manufacturing, robotics, footwear and toy manufacturing as sectors with significant future potential and said Gujarat intended to position itself as a leader in these industries.
“Today, Gujarat is the number one manufacturing state in the country. But we do not intend to sit back and be satisfied with that position,” he said.
Sanghavi also highlighted emerging opportunities in Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), Dholera, Global Capability Centres and data centres, saying discussions were already underway to attract more investment in these areas.
“Why should Global Capability Centres be located outside Gujarat? Why should they not be established in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, GIFT City and surrounding regions?” he asked.
He said the government was working to resolve concerns about land availability, incentives, and approvals through greater coordination among departments, with the aim of reducing the need for repeated visits to government offices.
“Our aim is to provide clear approvals or decisions through a single meeting wherever possible,” Sanghavi said.
He urged industry leaders to ensure the policy translated into actual investment and job creation.
“This policy should not remain confined to paper. No investment should leave Gujarat for another state. What belongs to Gujarat should remain in Gujarat, and we should also attract investment from outside states to Gujarat,” he said.
Sanghavi said the government would continue to work closely with industry stakeholders to ensure that the benefits of the new policy create greater opportunities for Gujarat’s youth and sustain industrial growth across the state.
Source: IANS
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