Gujarat should be among top 3 states in service sector: Amit Shah

Gandhinagar: Union home minister Amit Shah on Sunday said that Gujarat, which has established itself as a leader in manufacturing, engineering, pharmaceuticals and clean energy, must also strive to be among the top three Indian states in the service sector.

Shah was speaking at the inauguration of Million Minds tech park by Ganesh Housing, at Tragad in Ahmedabad. He added that if Ahmedabad aspires to position itself on par with major tech hubs like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, and Gurugram, such modern infrastructure initiatives are essential.

“Gujarat has performed exceptionally well across a wide spectrum of sectors: manufacturing, engineering, pharmaceuticals, ports, logistics, green energy, industrial infrastructure, and investment. However, the time has now come to elevate Gujarat to a position among the top three states in the service sector as well,” Shah said.

At the event, Shah also inaugurated the Ganesh Real Estate Management Institute (GREMI) City Campus, terming it as an important initiative for the real estate sector. “The real estate sector encompasses a multitude of interconnected issues — environmental concerns to urban planning. Yet, no one has previously addressed these aspects comprehensively. Without effective implementation of urban planning, cities cannot develop into well-structured and livable spaces,” Shah said, adding that there is a need to address all aspects related to the sector — planning methodologies and technological integration in their entirety.

He pointed out that over the past two to three years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has placed significant emphasis on developing tech parks and Global Capability Centres (GCCs), leading to a transformation of the entire spectrum of economic activities. The Million Minds Tech Park, built at a cost of Rs 1,100 crore and spanning 13.5 lakh square feet, will provide conducive working environment for 9,000 highly skilled professionals in its first phase, Shah noted, adding that upon completion of all seven planned phases, the project is expected to generate over 63,000 high-value jobs.

Meanwhile, the group’s GREMI campus, Shah said, has been set up near Thol at a cost of Rs 500 crore over an area of 30,000 square feet. “The campus will accommodate a batch of 300 students in the first phase, and newer areas of the real estate sector will be added to the curriculum,” he added.