The Ambassador of Japan to India, Keiichi Ono, led a high-level delegation of leading Japanese companies on an official visit to Dholera Special Investment Region (Dholera SIR), marking a significant milestone in advancing industrial cooperation between India and Japan.
Dholera is India's greenfield smart industrial city under the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC).
According to an official statement from the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, he two-day engagement began on Wednesday with a conference session in Ahmedabad, followed by a site visit to Dholera Special Investment Region (SIR) on Thursday.
According to the official statement by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Japanese delegation undertook an on-site 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).
Delivering the keynote address, CEO & MD, National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (NICDC), Rajat Kumar Saini, underscored the deepening strategic partnership between India and Japan. He noted that the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC), inspired by Japan's Tokyo-Osaka corridor, continues to benefit from Japanese collaboration and investment, the official statement said.
The session held on Wednesday featured opening remarks by Resident Executive Officer & Regional Head for Asia Pacific, Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) Kazuko Sakuma and Chief Representative, JETRO Ahmedabad Yu Yoshida.
Mona Khandhar, Principal Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, Government of Gujarat, also addressed the gathering.
The session showcased presentations on India's evolving industrial ecosystem and the emergence of Dholera as a hub for advanced manufacturing.
A special address by Ambassador Keiichi Ono concluded the session, in which he appreciated India's vision for semiconductors and smart cities, and reaffirmed Japan's continued support for India's economic transformation. The day concluded with a networking dinner that fostered greater engagement between Indian and Japanese stakeholders.
The delegation conducted various site visits, such as those to 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 and Control Centre (ICCC) and the Experience Centre.
According to the statement, 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 INR 1.54 lakh crore in semiconductor-related investments underway in Gujarat.
The high-level delegation also reviewed Dholera's planned social infrastructure, including a multi-speciality 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.
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry underscored that 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 official statement said that the visit by the Japanese delegation highlights Dholera's rising global prominence and its potential to serve as India's gateway to advanced manufacturing.
As India advances toward its goal of becoming a global economic and technological leader by 2047, Dholera SIR stands as a model of integrated planning, international cooperation, and futuristic infrastructure.
With inputs from ANI
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