Saurashtra-Kutch get Rs 5.78 lakh cr investment push

Rajkot: Gujarat's largest region - Saurashtra-Kutch - got a major economic boost with private companies spanning various sectors committing an investment of staggering Rs 5.78 lakh crore in the two-day Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference (VGRC) that concluded on Monday.State Cabinet minister Jitu Vaghani announced that a total 5,492 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) involving proposed investments worth Rs 5.78 lakh crore were signed during the summit, reaffirming the region's growing importance in Gujarat's industrial and economic landscape.Announcing the figures at the valedictory session, Vaghani said the Gujarat government has prepared a comprehensive roadmap to develop Saurashtra and Kutch as key growth centres by 2047 in line with the national vision of Viksit Bharat @2047."The scale of investment commitments reflected strong domestic and global confidence in Gujarat's policy stability and industrial ecosystem," he said.Recalling the launch of the Vibrant Gujarat initiative by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2003, Vaghani said the programme had faced scepticism in its early years but has since evolved into a powerful platform for investment promotion. "From just 80 MoUs worth Rs 66,000 crore in 2003 to over Rs 5.78 lakh crore at this regional conference alone, the journey of Vibrant Gujarat mirrors India's economic transformation," he said.Vaghani added that the PM's presence at the regional conference highlighted the strategic importance attached to the development of Saurashtra and Kutch. He noted that flagship initiatives such as Make in India, Startup India and Atmanirbhar Bharat were translating into tangible opportunities for entrepreneurs across Gujarat.The minister also urged industries and citizens to make maximum use of the Vibrant Gujarat Regional Exhibition, which will continue till Jan 15, saying that sector-specific discussions held during the conference would serve as a guide for future investments and expansion plans.Environment minister Arjun Modhwadia said Gujarat was on track to become a hub for the semiconductor industry by 2027 and that the Porbandar–Dwarka–Somnath belt was being developed into a large integrated tourism zone. He called upon entrepreneurs from the region to invest in new-age technologies to remain competitive in a rapidly changing global economy.Officials said that conference had successfully brought together "scale and skill" by facilitating B2B and B2G meetings, reverse buyer–seller interactions and more than 50 seminars over two days, offering new exposure to young entrepreneurs.During the ceremony, the book "Kutch & Saurashtra: Anchoring Gujarat's Vision" was released, and outstanding MSMEs, entrepreneurs and handicraft artisans were honoured for their contributions. Senior officials, industry leaders and representatives from 24 countries attended the event, which also saw participation from over 4,000 entrepreneurs.