Mehsana, Oct 9 (PTI) Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Thursday inaugurated the first Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference (VGRC) being held in Mehsana district with the aim of highlighting the strengths of the northern part of the state.

Among those who took part in the inaugural ceremony held at Ganpat University in Kherva village were Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, astronaut and Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and ISRO Chairman Dr V Narayanan, national and international delegates as well as ambassadors of various countries and representatives of global organisations.

The VGRC of North Gujarat will be conducted over two days under the theme 'Regional Aspirations, Global Ambitions', said an official release.

Patel said goals of 'Vocal for Local and Local for Global' set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be realised through such regional conferences.

The Prime Minister's vision to boost indigenous products for an Atmanirhar Bharat offers local industries the opportunity to participate, while these conferences act as a platform to showcase regional capabilities globally, Patel added.

"Building on the success of Vibrant Summit, which was launched as an innovative initiative by Modi in 2003 to redefine Gujarat's identity as a business hub, the state has emerged as the Global Gateway to the Future," he said.

The CM said about 7,100 MoUs were signed for North Gujarat during Vibrant Gujarat Summit 2024, of which nearly 72 per cent, or over 5,000 projects, have already been commissioned.

"Gujarat leads the nation with USD 68.9 billion FDI over 24 years and contributes 18 per cent to the country's industrial output. To boost industry, trade, and business, the Prime Minister has made Gujarat a policy-driven state, focusing on infrastructure development, ease of doing business, skilled manpower, and proactive policies," he said.

Owing to the people's trust in the vision and capabilities provided by the Prime Minister, and Gujarat's global approach, the state has emerged as the growth engine of the country today, Patel added.

Ahead of the inauguration, the Chief Minister also opened the trade show and exhibition organized as part of the event on the same campus. Around 22 MoUs were signed on the first day of the summit, said the state government release.

The North Gujarat VGRC focused on sectors such as renewable energy, dairy, and food processing, while upcoming VGRCs in Saurashtra will cover engineering, ceramics, brass parts, fisheries, and marine products, said the CM.

"In South Gujarat, VGRCs will showcase gems and jewellery, textiles, and diamonds, and in Central Gujarat, sectors like semiconductors, electronics, green mobility, chemicals, and electric vehicles will be promoted globally to drive an Atmanirbhar, sustainable and Viksit Bharat@2047," he added.

On the occasion, the Chief Minister unveiled and dedicated the Regional Economic Master Plan prepared for the state's six key economic regions, namely North Gujarat, Kutch, Central Gujarat, Saurashtra, Coastal Saurashtra and Surat, the release said.

"These master plans serve as a roadmap to achieve the ambitious goal of expanding Gujarat's economy through balanced regional development across all 33 districts from its current size of USD 280 billion (FY 2023) to over USD 3.5 trillion," it said.

Under these six regional master plans, public and private investments of over Rs 15 lakh crore (more than US $200 billion) have been planned across 500-plus projects.

"To ensure that the benefits of economic growth reach the youth, Regional Skilling Centres and Centres of Excellence focused on areas such as Green Skills, Blue Economy, Logistics, and AI Academies will be established in collaboration with industries across all regions," said the release.

"These initiatives and economic activities are expected to generate approximately 28 million new employment opportunities for the youth of the state. These regional master plans will focus on futuristic sectors aligned with the local production strengths of each region," it added.

In his address, Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that Gujarat is a land of entrepreneurs.

The Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, initiated by PM Modi during his tenure as Chief Minister, has set an exemplary standard for the entire country," he said.

"In the past 11 years, Railways has constructed 2,764 km of new railway tracks in Gujarat, surpassing the entire railway network of Denmark. During this period, the state received investments worth Rs 1.46 lakh crore in the railway sector," Vaishnaw said.

He expressed gratitude to the state government for its support in achieving the target to start the bullet train by August 2027.

Referring to the semiconductor sector, Vaishnaw said Gujarat has attracted Rs 1.25 lakh crore in investment, with four major semiconductor plants and 30 Japanese companies planning to manufacture key components in the state.

"The electronic manufacturing industry has grown to Rs 12 lakh crore over the last 11 years, reflecting the high-quality standards set by the Prime Minister," he said. PTI PJT PD BNM

Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference spotlights regional master plans, sector investments, skilling centres and projected job creation. The Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference advances six regional master plans that prioritise sectoral development and plan over Rs 15 lakh crore in public and private investments across 500+ projects to drive balanced district-level growth, MoU conversion, job creation, and establishment of Regional Skilling Centres and Centres of Excellence aligned to local production strengths.