New Delhi, July 10
Japan’s Ambassador to India, Keiichi Ono, led a high-level delegation of leading Japanese companies on an official visit to Dholera Special Investment Region in Gujarat, the greenfield smart industrial city under the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC), according to a statement issued by the Commerce and Industry Ministry on Thursday.
The visit marked a significant milestone in advancing industrial cooperation between India and Japan, built on shared values of innovation, sustainability and inclusive development.
The two-day engagement commenced with a conference session in Ahmedabad, followed by a site visit to Dholera Special Investment Region (SIR). The Japanese delegation undertook an on-ground tour of the city’s planned infrastructure and facilities, accompanied by officials from Dholera Industrial City Development Ltd. (DICDL) and the National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (NICDC).
The site visit included the Water Treatment Plant, Canal Front Development, Power Substation, the under-construction Tata Electronics semiconductor fabrication plant, and the ABCD Building, which houses the Integrated Command & Control Centre (ICCC) and the Experience Centre.
The delegation was briefed on the Tata Electronics semiconductor fabrication facility, being developed in partnership with Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (PSMC) of Taiwan. This project, a key component of the Semicon India Programme, forms part of over Rs 1.54 lakh crore in semiconductor-related investments underway in Gujarat.
The delegation also reviewed Dholera’s planned social infrastructure -- including a multi-specialty hospital, fire station, integrated school, premium guest house, residential and commercial complexes, and hospitality hubs -- designed to make Dholera a fully livable and investor-ready smart city.
Dholera represents India’s Vision 2047 of becoming a developed, self-reliant, and innovation-driven economy. With multimodal connectivity through the Ahmedabad–Dholera Expressway and the upcoming Greenfield International Airport, plug-and-play industrial zones, real-time governance via ICCC, and robust utility infrastructure, Dholera is envisioned as more than just an industrial base.
The visit by the Japanese delegation highlights Dholera’s rising global prominence and its potential to serve as India’s gateway to advanced manufacturing, the official statement added.
— IANS
Reader Comments
As an expat working in Gujarat, I'm impressed by Dholera's planned development. The smart city concept with Japanese precision could be a game-changer. But hope they maintain environmental standards - saw some concerns about water usage in arid regions.
Finally some concrete action on semiconductors! We've been talking about chip manufacturing for years. The Taiwan partnership is strategic too. Gujarat is becoming India's tech hub - first Apple, now this! ðŸ‘
Good initiative but hope benefits reach local communities too. Often these mega projects only help big corporates. What about skill development programs for Gujarati youth to work in these high-tech factories?
The multi-specialty hospital and schools planned in Dholera show they're thinking long-term. A smart city needs more than just factories - it needs quality life for families. Hope other states learn from this model!
₹1.54 lakh crore investment is massive! But will the semiconductor plant actually start production on time? Our track record with such projects isn't great. Hope Japanese efficiency rubs off on our execution.
The Ahmedabad-Dholera expressway connectivity is crucial. Infrastructure like this reduces logistics costs dramatically. India needs more such industrial corridors to
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